@^^**~~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~~**^^@
@%^*~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~*^%@
##@@%^*«~¨ ¨~«*^%@@##
#@%^**««~¨ ¨~««**^%@#
##@@%^*«~¨ ¨~«*^%@@##
##@@%^*«~¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨~«*^%@@##
##@@%^*«~¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨~«*^%@@##
@%^«¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨«^%@
##@@%^*«~¨ « « « « « « « « « « « ¨~«*^%@@##
##@@%^*«~¨ **************************************** ¨~«*^%@@##
@@@^^«~~~¨ ¨~~~«^^@@@
##@@%^*«~¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨~«^%@@
@^««¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨««^@
@^«¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ **************************************** ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨«^@
###@%^*«~¨ « « « « « « « « « « « ¨~«*^%@###
##@@%^*«~¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨~«*^%@@##
@^^*««¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨««*^^@
#@@%*«««~¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨~«««*%@@#
@@@%*~~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~~*%@@@
##@@%^*«~¨ ¨~«*^%@@##
@@@^**~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~**^@@@
##@@%^*«~¨ ¨~«*^%@@##
##@@%^*«~¨ ¨~«*^%@@##