§§§¨§¨§¨¨§ ¨§¨§¨¨§§§§
§§§¨§¨§¨§§ ¨§¨§¨§¨§§§
§§§¨§¨§¨¨§ ¨§¨§¨§¨¨§§
§§§¨§¨§¨§§ ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
§§§¨§¨§¨¨§ ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨¨
¨§§¨§¨§¨§§ ¨¨¨,,,============================,,,¨¨¨ ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨¨§ ¨,= 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..... ,»¨ ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§§ ¨¨¨,,,============================,,,¨¨¨ ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨¨§ ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§§ ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨¨§ ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§§ ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨¨§ ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§