~......... .........~
^~........ ........~^
§^~....... .......~^§
¤§^~...... ......~^§¤
@¤§^~..... .....~^§¤@
#@¤§^~.... . . . ....~^§¤@#
##@¤§^~... . . . . . . ...~^§¤@##
###@¤§^~.. . . . . . . . . ..~^§¤@###
##@¤§^~... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ...~^§¤@##
#@¤§^~.... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ....~^§¤@#
@¤§^~..... .....~^§¤@
¤§^~...... 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. ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ..........
~......... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .........~
^~........ . . . . . . . . ........~^
§^~....... . . . . . . .......~^§
¤§^~...... . . . ......~^§¤
@¤§^~..... .....~^§¤@
#@¤§^~.... ....~^§¤@#
##@¤§^~... ...~^§¤@##
###@¤§^~.. ..~^§¤@###
##@¤§^~... ...~^§¤@##