*^~.,,,,,, ,,,,,,.~^*
$*^~.,,,,, ,,,,,.~^*$
#$*^~.,,,, ,,,,.~^*$#
##$*^~.,,, ,,,.~^*$##
###$*^~.,, ,,.~^*$###
####$*^~., , , , ,.~^*$####
###$*^~.,, , , , , , , ,,.~^*$###
##$*^~.,,, . . . . . . . . ,,,.~^*$##
#$*^~.,,,, ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,,,,.~^*$#
$*^~.,,,,, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ,,,,,.~^*$
*^~.,,,,,, ,,,,,,.~^*
^~.,,,,,,, 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 ,,,,,,.~^*
$*^~.,,,,, FIND ITS OWN WAY BACK. THE BUSHES ROOTS ,,,,,.~^*$
#$*^~.,,,, DRINK THE NUTRUTIOUS WATER. THE FAIRIES ,,,,.~^*$#
##$*^~.,,, DANCE IN THE SUNBEAMS. ,,,.~^*$##
###$*^~.,, ,,.~^*$###
####$*^~., ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ,.~^*$####
###$*^~.,, ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,,.~^*$###
##$*^~.,,, . . . . . . . . ,,,.~^*$##
#$*^~.,,,, , , , , , , ,,,,.~^*$#
$*^~.,,,,, , , , ,,,,,.~^*$
*^~.,,,,,, ,,,,,,.~^*
^~.,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,.~^
*^~.,,,,,, ,,,,,,.~^*
$*^~.,,,,, ,,,,,.~^*$
#$*^~.,,,, ,,,,.~^*$#