#%%%%%/=~¨ ¨~=/%%%%%#
@#¤%=~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~=%¤#@
@#¤¤%%/=~¨ ¨~=/%%¤¤#@
¤¤%///==~¨ ¨~==///%¤¤
@¤¤¤%%/=~¨ ¨~=/%%¤¤¤@
#@#¤%%/=~¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨~=/%%¤#@#
@#¤%%%/=~¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨~=/%%%¤#@
###¤%%/=~¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨~=/%%¤###
@¤%%=~¨¨¨¨ = = = = = = = = = = = ¨¨¨¨~=%%¤@
¤%==¨¨¨¨¨¨ //////////////////////////////////////// ¨¨¨¨¨¨==%¤
#@#¤%%/=~¨ ¨~=/%%¤#@#
#¤%%%%/=~¨ 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. ~=/%%¤#@##
#@#¤%%/=~¨ ¨~=/%%¤#@#
¤%%%%//=~¨ //////////////////////////////////////// ¨~=//%%%%¤
¤¤%==~¨¨¨¨ = = = = = = = = = = = ¨¨¨¨~==%¤¤
@#¤%%%/=~¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨~=/%%%¤#@
@@#¤%%/=~¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨~=/%%¤#@@
¤%/~~~¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨~~~/%¤
@#%%=~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~=%%#@
##@#¤%/=~¨ ¨~=/%¤#@##
#%%=~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~=%%#
@¤¤¤%%/=~¨ ¨~=/%%¤¤¤@
##@#¤%%/~¨ ¨~/%%¤#@##