¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,» »,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,»/ ¨¨¨,,,////////////////////////////,,,¨¨¨ /»,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,»/% ¨,/ 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..... ,»¨ %/»,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,»/%@ ¨¨¨,,,////////////////////////////,,,¨¨¨ @%/»,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,»/%@& &@%/»,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,»/%@ #&@%/»,¨¨¨
¨¨,»/%@# ##&@%/»,¨¨
¨,»/%@## ###&@%/»,¨
¨¨,»/%@# ##&@%/»,¨¨