¨¨¨¨,-=%%& &%%=-,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,-=%% %%=-,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,-=% %=-,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-= =-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,- -,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨, ¨¨¨,,,============================,,,¨¨¨ ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨,= 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..... ,-¨ ##&%%=-,¨¨
¨,-=%%## ¨¨¨,,,============================,,,¨¨¨ ###&%%=-,¨
¨¨,-=%%# ##&%%=-,¨¨
¨¨¨,-=%% #&%%=-,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,-=%%& &%%=-,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,-=%% %%=-,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,-=% %=-,¨¨¨¨¨¨