##%†;^^... ...^^;†%##
##@#%†;~^. .^~;†%#@##
###%††;~^. .^~;††%###
@@@#%†;~^. .^~;†%#@@@
@%††~^.... ....^~††%@
##@#%†;~^. . . . .^~;†%#@##
###%%†;~^. . . . . . . .^~;†%%###
##@#%†;~^. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ .^~;†%#@##
@%†;~^.... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ....^~;†%@
##†;^^.... ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ....^^;†##
@%†;;;^... ...^;;;†%@
##@#%†;~^. 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. .^~;†%#@##
##@#%†;~^. .^~;†%#@##
@@@#%†;~^. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; .^~;†%#@@@
##%;~^.... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ....^~;%##
##@#%†;~^. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ .^~;†%#@##
##@#%†;~^. . . . . . . .^~;†%#@##
@%††;~^... . . . ...^~;††%@
##@#%†;~^. .^~;†%#@##
#†;;~^.... ....^~;;†#
#%%†~^^... ...^^~†%%#
##@#%†;~^. .^~;†%#@##
@#%;^^.... ....^^;%#@