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¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~~~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨~: THE SPIRE -:¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ -:~----------------------------------:-~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ :-~ ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A :~- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~ :~- BENEVOLENT SPIRE, TOWERING WELL ~:- ~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~- ~:- ABOVE OUR TALLEST TREES. IT WAS ~-: -~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-: ~-: CLAD IN WHITE SCALES, AND SHAPED -~: :-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~-:^ -~: LIKED A MUSHROOM. -:~ ^:-~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~-:^% -:~ WE LOVED IT DEARLY. :-~ %^:-~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~-:^%¤ :-~----------------------------------:~- ¤%^:-~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~-:^%¤@ :~- IT PREDATED US BY MANY YEARS, ~:- @¤%^:-~¨¨¨
¨¨~-:^%¤@@ ~:- AND WE DID NOT KNOW ITS ORIGINAL ~-: @@¤%^:-~¨¨
¨~-:^%¤@@# ~-: BUILDERS. THEY HAD USED ITS -~: #@@¤%^:-~¨
¨¨~-:^%¤@@ -~: HOLLOW BODY FOR MANY STRANGE -:~ @@¤%^:-~¨¨
¨¨¨~-:^%¤@ -:~ PURPOSES - A WOMBLIKE PLACE OF :-~ @¤%^:-~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~-:^%¤ :-~ GESTATION, A STORAGE OF STRAGE :~- ¤%^:-~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~-:^% :~- FLUIDS, A TEMPLE TO SOME KIND OF ~:- %^:-~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~-:^ ~:- ARCANE DEITY. ~-: ^:-~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-: ~-:-----------------------------------~: :-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~- -~: WE WERE GRATEFUL FOR ITS -:~ -~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~ -:~ PRESENCE, AND HONORED IT THE :-~ ~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ :-~ ONLY WAY WE KNEW HOW: BY :~- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨~- BREAKING IN. ~-¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~~~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~~~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨-: THIS PLACE WE CALLED OUR CITY: ~:- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~ ~:- WAVY AND FRACTURED, WITH EACH :~- ~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~- :~- COURTYARD ON A DIFFERENT HEIGHT, :-~ -~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-: :-~ ROADS BECOMING ROOFS BECOMING -:~ :-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~-:^ -:~ DRAINS. AND SOME PLACES, LIKE -~: ^:-~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~-:^% -~: THE SPIRE, NOBODY HAD ACCESSED ~-: %^:-~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~-:^%¤ ~-: FOR MANY YEARS. ONCE ITS WALLS ~:- ¤%^:-~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~-:^%¤@ ~:- ARE JUST TOO HIGH, AND THE :~- @¤%^:-~¨¨¨
¨¨~-:^%¤@@ :~- INTERNAL ROUTES TO LABYRINTHINE, :-~ @@¤%^:-~¨¨
¨~-:^%¤@@# :-~ A PLACE AMONG OTHERS IS EASILY -:~ #@@¤%^:-~¨
¨¨~-:^%¤@@ -:~ OVERLOOKED. ~-: @@¤%^:-~¨¨
¨¨¨~-:^%¤@ ~-:----------------------------------~:- @¤%^:-~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~-:^%¤ ~:- SO, BASICALLY, THAT SUMMER THE :~- ¤%^:-~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~-:^% :~- FOUR OF US SNUCK AND CLIMBED AND -~: %^:-~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~-:^ :-~ CRAWLED FOR WEEKS, SEARCHING FOR -:~ ^:-~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-: -:~ A SECLUDED PLACE TO DO DRUGS AND -~: :-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~- -~: PLAY MUSIC ON OUR HANDHELDS. ~-: -~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~ ~-: INSTEAD WE FOUND VAST LUNGS ~:- ~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~:- DRAINED OF THEIR CATALYST :~- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ :~- SLUDGE, AND A BIRDS-EYE VIEW TO :-~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ :-~ MAKE SENSE OF OUR ROAMINGS FOR -:~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ -:~ YEARS TO COME. -~: ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ -~:----------------------------------~-: ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~-: A CENTRAL SPINE, A STAIRCASE ~:- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~:- AROUND IT, THE SEVEN TOROIDAL :~- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~ :~- LUNGS STACKED OUTSIDE, AND THE :-~ ~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~- :-~ CONTROL ROOM ON TOP. THE SOCKETS -:~ -~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-: -:~ FOR ITS EYES. THE SMALLER SPIRES -~: :-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~-:^ -~: FOR RADIATING CONSCIOUSNESS ~-: ^:-~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~-:^% ¨-: INVITATIONS. ~:¨ %^:-~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~-:^%¤ ¨¨¨~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~~~¨¨¨ ¤%^:-~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~-:^%¤@ @¤%^:-~¨¨¨
¨¨~-:^%¤@@ ¨¨¨~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~~~¨¨¨ @@¤%^:-~¨¨
¨~-:^%¤@@# ¨~: IN TWENTY FOURTEEN, THE TOWER IS :-~ #@@¤%^:-~¨
¨¨~-:^%¤@@ -:~ TOPPLED AND EATEN BY MACHINES. :~- @@¤%^:-~¨¨
¨¨¨~-:^%¤@ :-~ AFTER A WHILE, SOMETHING NEW IS ~:- @¤%^:-~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~-:^%¤ :~- CONJURED IN ITS PLACE. IT'S A ~-: ¤%^:-~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~-:^% ~:- TINY MAW AT FIRST, SHORTER THAN -~: %^:-~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~-:^ ~-: US, AND WE LET IT BE. OUR -:~ ^:-~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-: -~: JOURNEYS STILL END AT ITS FEET. :-~ :-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~- -:~----------------------------------:~- -~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~ :-~ BUT THEN WE ARE BETRAYED. THE ~:- ~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ :~- NEW TOWER EATS US. OTHERS ARE ~-: ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~:- SUCKED INSIDE. NEW BUILDINGS ARE -~: ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~-: MANIFESTED OVERNIGHT, ONLY TO -:~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ -~: DISAPPEAR IN THE EVENING FOG. :-~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ -:~ FOR A WHILE ITS SOME KIND OF :~- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ :-~ TIMESHARE SCAM. GOONS ARE PLACED ~:- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ :~- OUTSIDE, AND WE GET BEATEN UP A ~-: ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~ ~:- FEW TIMES, AND STOP GOING. -~: ~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~- ~-:-----------------------------------:~ -~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-: -~: IIRC IT'S CURRENTLY OWNED BY :-~ :-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~-:^ -:~ SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES :~- ^:-~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~-:^% :-~ IT TO HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT ~:- %^:-~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~-:^%¤ ¨~- CARS..... ~-¨ ¤%^:-~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~-:^%¤@ ¨¨¨~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~~~¨¨¨ @¤%^:-~¨¨¨
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