....~«§§¶¶ ¶¶§§«~....
.~«:§%§¶## ##¶§%§:«~.
.....«§§§§ §§§§«.....
.~«:%§¶@## ##@¶§%:«~.
.~«:§%§¶@# #@¶§%§:«~.
.~«:§%§¶## . . . ##¶§%§:«~.
.~«:§%§¶@@ . . . . . . @@¶§%§:«~.
.~~~~«§%%§ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ §%%§«~~~~.
.~«:§%§¶@# « « « « « « « « « « « #@¶§%§:«~.
.....~:§§¶ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¶§§:~.....
....~::%§@ @§%::~....
.~«:§%§¶¶¶ 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. #@¶§%§:«~.
.~:§%§¶@## ##@¶§%§:~.
...~««§§§@ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: @§§§««~...
.~«:§%§¶@# « « « « « « « « « « « #@¶§%§:«~.
.~«:§%§¶@# ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ #@¶§%§:«~.
......«§§§ . . . . . . §§§«......
......~«§§ . . . §§«~......
.~«:§%§¶@# #@¶§%§:«~.
...«::§%%¶ ¶%%§::«...
.....~««§§ §§««~.....
....~:§%%¶ ¶%%§:~....
.....~:%%¶ ¶%%:~.....