..:«^†¤¶@# #@¶¤†^«:..
.:«^†¤¶@## ##@¶¤†^«:.
..:«^†¤¶@# #@¶¤†^«:..
...:«^†¤¶@ @¶¤†^«:...
....:«^†¤¶ ¶¤†^«:....
.....:«^†¤ . . . ¤†^«:.....
......:«^† . . . . . . †^«:......
.......:«^ : : : : : : : : ^«:.......
........:« « « « « « « « « « « « «:........
.......:«^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^«:.......
......:«^† †^«:......
.....:«^†¤ JUST OFF THE COAST TO THE BALTIC SEA ¤†^«:.....
....:«^†¤¶ THERE'S A FRESHWATER POND, SECLUDED ¶¤†^«:....
...:«^†¤¶@ AMONG ASHEN AND JUNIPER. A CLEFT IN THE @¶¤†^«:...
..:«^†¤¶@# LIMESTONE BEDROCK, SHARP-CUT FROM THE #@¶¤†^«:..
.:«^†¤¶@## SURROUNDING PLAINS, A NINETY DEGREE ##@¶¤†^«:.
..:«^†¤¶@# DROP DOWN, DOWN, TO THE MIDNIGHT-BLACK #@¶¤†^«:..
...:«^†¤¶@ WATER. @¶¤†^«:...
....:«^†¤¶ ¶¤†^«:....
.....:«^†¤ ««««††††††††«««« ¤†^«:.....
......:«^† ««†† ††«« †^«:......
.......:«^ «««««†† FAIRIES LIVE HERE. ††««««« ^«:.......
........:« ««†† ††«« «:........
.......:«^ ««««††††††††«««« ^«:.......
......:«^† †^«:......
.....:«^†¤ THEY SPEAK TO THE SLOANE, CARESS IT, ¤†^«:.....
....:«^†¤¶ URGE IT TO GROW THICKER, TANGLED, WITH ¶¤†^«:....
...:«^†¤¶@ LONGER AND SHARPER THORNS. THEY TELL IT @¶¤†^«:...
..:«^†¤¶@# TO STAY JUST BELOW THE GRASS, SO THAT #@¶¤†^«:..
.:«^†¤¶@## THE ANIMALS WHAT COME TO DRINK THE ##@¶¤†^«:.
..:«^†¤¶@# WATER CANNOT SEE IT BEFORE IT DRAWS #@¶¤†^«:..
...:«^†¤¶@ THEIR BLOOD. CLOSER TO THE POND, THE @¶¤†^«:...
....:«^†¤¶ SLOANE CAN GROW TALLER, BEING ABLE TO ¶¤†^«:....
.....:«^†¤ HIDE ALSO IN THE JUNIPER. ¤†^«:.....
......:«^† †^«:......
.......:«^ THE FAIRIES WILL BECKON THE ANIMALS TO ^«:.......
........:« PUSH FORWARD, TELL THEM THAT THEY'RE «:........
.......:«^ ALMOST AT THE WATER, THAT THEY MAY ^«:.......
......:«^† DRINK SOON. AND THEY WILL TUG ON THE †^«:......
.....:«^†¤ SLOANE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE THORNS CUT ¤†^«:.....
....:«^†¤¶ DEEP. WHEN THEY FINALLY FIND THE PATH ¶¤†^«:....
...:«^†¤¶@ DOWN BETWEEN THE ROCKS, AWAY FROM THE @¶¤†^«:...
..:«^†¤¶@# BUSHWORK AND INTO THE CLEFT, THEY ARE #@¶¤†^«:..
.:«^†¤¶@## BLEEDING FROM A THOUSAND WOUNDS. AS ##@¶¤†^«:.
..:«^†¤¶@# THEY DRINK FROM THE DARK WATER, IT IS #@¶¤†^«:..
...:«^†¤¶@ IN TURN DRINKING THE ANIMALS BLOOD. @¶¤†^«:...
....:«^†¤¶ ¶¤†^«:....
.....:«^†¤ THE CIRCLE IS COMPLETE, THE CONTRACT ¤†^«:.....
......:«^† CARRIED OUT; THE ANIMAL IS ABANDONED TO †^«:......
.......:«^ FIND ITS OWN WAY BACK. THE BUSHES ROOTS ^«:.......
........:« DRINK THE NUTRUTIOUS WATER. THE FAIRIES «:........
.......:«^ DANCE IN THE SUNBEAMS. ^«:.......
......:«^† †^«:......
.....:«^†¤ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¤†^«:.....
....:«^†¤¶ « « « « « « « « « « « ¶¤†^«:....
...:«^†¤¶@ : : : : : : : : @¶¤†^«:...
..:«^†¤¶@# . . . . . . #@¶¤†^«:..
.:«^†¤¶@## . . . ##@¶¤†^«:.
..:«^†¤¶@# #@¶¤†^«:..
...:«^†¤¶@ @¶¤†^«:...
....:«^†¤¶ ¶¤†^«:....
.....:«^†¤ ¤†^«:.....
......:«^† †^«:......