¨§¨¨§§¨§¨§ §¨¨¨§¨§¨§§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§ §¨¨§§¨§¨¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§ §¨§¨§¨§¨§§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§ §¨§¨§¨§¨¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§ §¨§¨§¨§¨§§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§ ¨¨¨~~~;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;~~~¨¨¨ §¨§¨§¨§¨¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§ ¨~; 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..... ~-¨ §¨§¨§¨§¨§§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§ ¨¨¨~~~;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;~~~¨¨¨ §¨§¨§¨§¨¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§ §¨§¨§¨§¨§§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§ §¨§¨§¨§¨¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§ §¨§¨§¨§¨§§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§ §¨§¨§¨§¨¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§ §¨§¨§¨§¨§§