####%*=~^. .^~=*%####
###&%*=~^. .^~=*%&###
###&%*=~^. .^~=*%&###
&%=^^..... .....^^=%&
#&%**=^... ...^=**%&#
#&%%**=~^. . . . .^~=**%%&#
&&*~~..... . . . . . . .....~~*&&
#&%%=^.... ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ....^=%%&#
###&%*=~^. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .^~=*%&###
###&%*=~^. ======================================== .^~=*%&###
###&%*=~^. .^~=*%&###
&*~~~..... 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. ......~*%&
###&%*=~^. .^~=*%&###
#%%*=^.... ======================================== ....^=*%%#
####&*=~^. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .^~=*&####
###&%*=~^. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ .^~=*%&###
&**=~~~^.. . . . . . . ..^~~~=**&
###&%*=~^. . . . .^~=*%&###
###&%*=~^. .^~=*%&###
##%%%*=~^. .^~=*%%%##
&*~....... .......~*&
###&%*=~^. .^~=*%&###
###&%*=~^. .^~=*%&###