¨¨¨^=;%¤¤# #¤¤%;=^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=;%¤¤ ¤¤%;=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^=;%¤¤# #¤¤%;=^¨¨¨
¨¨^=;%¤¤## ##¤¤%;=^¨¨
¨^=;%¤¤### ###¤¤%;=^¨
¨¨^=;%¤¤## ¨¨¨^^^;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;^^^¨¨¨ ##¤¤%;=^¨¨
¨¨¨^=;%¤¤# ¨^; 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..... ^=¨ #¤¤%;=^¨¨¨
¨¨^=;%¤¤## ¨¨¨^^^;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;^^^¨¨¨ ##¤¤%;=^¨¨
¨^=;%¤¤### ###¤¤%;=^¨
¨¨^=;%¤¤## ##¤¤%;=^¨¨
¨¨¨^=;%¤¤# #¤¤%;=^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=;%¤¤ ¤¤%;=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^=;%¤¤# #¤¤%;=^¨¨¨