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.......... ...=... ..........
.......... NAFTAKIN, THE BLIND ..........
.........~ ...=... ~.........
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.......~»= A STUDENT AT THE CHARCOAL GUILD... HIS =»~.......
......~»=* EYES SEWN SHUT FROM BIRTH... THE MOST *=»~......
.....~»=*& SUCCESSFUL STUDENT &*=»~.....
....~»=*&§ §&*=»~....
...~»=*&§@ BUT ONE DAY HE FELL DOWN INTO A CRYSTAL @§&*=»~...
..~»=*&§@# CAVERN. IT WAS DEEP IN THE MOUNTAIN, A #@§&*=»~..
.~»=*&§@## GREAT HALL WITH ONLY A SINGLE TINY ##@§&*=»~.
..~»=*&§@# INLET FOR BOTH LIGHT AND FALLING #@§&*=»~..
...~»=*&§@ STUDENTS... @§&*=»~...
....~»=*&§ §&*=»~....
.....~»=*& IN THE FALL, THE QUARTZ SLICED OFF THE &*=»~.....
......~»=* THREADS IN HIS EYES, OPENING THEM FOR *=»~......
.......~»= THE FIRST TIME. BEFORE HIM, THE =»~.......
........~» CRYSTALS MIRRORED AND REFRACTED THE ONE »~........
.........~ LIGHT SMIDGE INTO A WHOLE NIGHT SKY, ~.........
.......... AND HE WAS STRUCK DOWN WITH AWE ..........
.......... ..........
.......... BUT ALSO WITH SHAME, BECAUSE HIS EYES ..........
.......... HAD SEEN. HURRIEDLY, HE USED THREAD ..........
.......... FROM HIS ROBE TO SEW THEM BACK ..........
.........~ TOGETHER, AND WHEN HELP CAME HE DID NOT ~.........
........~» TELL OF HIS TRANSGRESSION. »~........
.......~»= =»~.......
......~»=* FOR YEARS HE STUDIED AT THE GUILD. HE *=»~......
.....~»=*& BECAME A MASTER, AND THEN A PILGRIM. &*=»~.....
....~»=*&§ YET THE IMAGE FROM THE CAVE NEVER LEFT §&*=»~....
...~»=*&§@ HIM. @§&*=»~...
..~»=*&§@# #@§&*=»~..
.~»=*&§@## AT THE END OF HIS LIFE, WHEN AT THE ##@§&*=»~.
..~»=*&§@# EDGE OF THE WORLD HE OPENED HIS EYES #@§&*=»~..
...~»=*&§@ FOR A SECOND TIME, STARS HAD HATCHED IN @§&*=»~...
....~»=*&§ THEM... §&*=»~....
.....~»=*& &*=»~.....
......~»=* *=»~......
.......~»= =»~.......
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