¨¨¨¨¨¨.~:^ ^:~.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~: :~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.~:^ ^:~.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.~:^% %^:~.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~:^%£ £%^:~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.~:^%£# ¨¨¨...::::::::::::::::::::::::::::...¨¨¨ #£%^:~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~:^%£## ¨.: 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..... .~¨ ^:~.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.~:^% ¨¨¨...::::::::::::::::::::::::::::...¨¨¨ %^:~.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~:^%£ £%^:~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.~:^%£# #£%^:~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~:^%£## ##£%^:~.¨¨
¨.~:^%£### ###£%^:~.¨
¨¨.~:^%£## ##£%^:~.¨¨