####*%==~¨ ¨~==%*####
###*%==~¨¨ ¨¨~==%*###
##*%==~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~==%*##
#*%==~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~==%*#
##*%==~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~==%*##
###*%==~¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨~==%*###
####*%==~¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨~==%*####
###*%==~¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨~==%*###
##*%==~¨¨¨ = = = = = = = = = = = ¨¨¨~==%*##
#*%==~¨¨¨¨ ======================================== ¨¨¨¨~==%*#
##*%==~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~==%*##
###*%==~¨¨ JUST OFF THE COAST TO THE BALTIC SEA ¨¨~==%*###
####*%==~¨ THERE'S A FRESHWATER POND, SECLUDED ¨~==%*####
###*%==~¨¨ AMONG ASHEN AND JUNIPER. A CLEFT IN THE ¨¨~==%*###
##*%==~¨¨¨ LIMESTONE BEDROCK, SHARP-CUT FROM THE ¨¨¨~==%*##
#*%==~¨¨¨¨ SURROUNDING PLAINS, A NINETY DEGREE ¨¨¨¨~==%*#
##*%==~¨¨¨ DROP DOWN, DOWN, TO THE MIDNIGHT-BLACK ¨¨¨~==%*##
###*%==~¨¨ WATER. ¨¨~==%*###
####*%==~¨ ¨~==%*####
###*%==~¨¨ ====%%%%%%%%==== ¨¨~==%*###
##*%==~¨¨¨ ==%% %%== ¨¨¨~==%*##
#*%==~¨¨¨¨ =====%% FAIRIES LIVE HERE. %%===== ¨¨¨¨~==%*#
##*%==~¨¨¨ ==%% %%== ¨¨¨~==%*##
###*%==~¨¨ ====%%%%%%%%==== ¨¨~==%*###
####*%==~¨ ¨~==%*####
###*%==~¨¨ THEY SPEAK TO THE SLOANE, CARESS IT, ¨¨~==%*###
##*%==~¨¨¨ URGE IT TO GROW THICKER, TANGLED, WITH ¨¨¨~==%*##
#*%==~¨¨¨¨ LONGER AND SHARPER THORNS. THEY TELL IT ¨¨¨¨~==%*#
##*%==~¨¨¨ TO STAY JUST BELOW THE GRASS, SO THAT ¨¨¨~==%*##
###*%==~¨¨ THE ANIMALS WHAT COME TO DRINK THE ¨¨~==%*###
####*%==~¨ WATER CANNOT SEE IT BEFORE IT DRAWS ¨~==%*####
###*%==~¨¨ THEIR BLOOD. CLOSER TO THE POND, THE ¨¨~==%*###
##*%==~¨¨¨ SLOANE CAN GROW TALLER, BEING ABLE TO ¨¨¨~==%*##
#*%==~¨¨¨¨ HIDE ALSO IN THE JUNIPER. ¨¨¨¨~==%*#
##*%==~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~==%*##
###*%==~¨¨ THE FAIRIES WILL BECKON THE ANIMALS TO ¨¨~==%*###
####*%==~¨ PUSH FORWARD, TELL THEM THAT THEY'RE ¨~==%*####
###*%==~¨¨ ALMOST AT THE WATER, THAT THEY MAY ¨¨~==%*###
##*%==~¨¨¨ DRINK SOON. AND THEY WILL TUG ON THE ¨¨¨~==%*##
#*%==~¨¨¨¨ SLOANE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE THORNS CUT ¨¨¨¨~==%*#
##*%==~¨¨¨ DEEP. WHEN THEY FINALLY FIND THE PATH ¨¨¨~==%*##
###*%==~¨¨ DOWN BETWEEN THE ROCKS, AWAY FROM THE ¨¨~==%*###
####*%==~¨ BUSHWORK AND INTO THE CLEFT, THEY ARE ¨~==%*####
###*%==~¨¨ BLEEDING FROM A THOUSAND WOUNDS. AS ¨¨~==%*###
##*%==~¨¨¨ THEY DRINK FROM THE DARK WATER, IT IS ¨¨¨~==%*##
#*%==~¨¨¨¨ IN TURN DRINKING THE ANIMALS BLOOD. ¨¨¨¨~==%*#
##*%==~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~==%*##
###*%==~¨¨ THE CIRCLE IS COMPLETE, THE CONTRACT ¨¨~==%*###
####*%==~¨ CARRIED OUT; THE ANIMAL IS ABANDONED TO ¨~==%*####
###*%==~¨¨ FIND ITS OWN WAY BACK. THE BUSHES ROOTS ¨¨~==%*###
##*%==~¨¨¨ DRINK THE NUTRUTIOUS WATER. THE FAIRIES ¨¨¨~==%*##
#*%==~¨¨¨¨ DANCE IN THE SUNBEAMS. ¨¨¨¨~==%*#
##*%==~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~==%*##
###*%==~¨¨ ======================================== ¨¨~==%*###
####*%==~¨ = = = = = = = = = = = ¨~==%*####
###*%==~¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨~==%*###
##*%==~¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨~==%*##
#*%==~¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨~==%*#
##*%==~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~==%*##
###*%==~¨¨ ¨¨~==%*###
####*%==~¨ ¨~==%*####
###*%==~¨¨ ¨¨~==%*###
##*%==~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~==%*##