.§§.§§§..§                                          ..§.§.§§§.
§.§§..§.§.                                          .§§§§§..§.
§§.§.§§§§.                                          §....§.§§§
.§§§§...§§                                          §...§§§...
§...§..§..                                          §..§..§...
§..§§.§§..                  ...=...                 §.§§.§§..§
§.§.§§.§..           NAFTAKIN, THE BLIND            §§.§§.§.§.
§§§§.§§§..                 ...=...                  .§§.§§§§§§
...§§..§..                                          §.§§......
..§.§.§§.§ A STUDENT AT THE  CHARCOAL GUILD...  HIS §§.§......
.§§§§§.§§§ EYES SEWN  SHUT  FROM  BIRTH... THE MOST .§§§......
§....§§...            SUCCESSFUL STUDENT            §..§......
§...§.§..§                                          §.§§.....§
§..§§§§.§§ BUT ONE DAY HE  FELL DOWN INTO A CRYSTAL §§.§....§.
§.§...§§.. CAVERN. IT WAS DEEP  IN THE MOUNTAIN,  A .§§§...§§§
§§§..§.§.§ GREAT  HALL  WITH  ONLY  A  SINGLE  TINY §..§..§...
..§.§§§§§. INLET  FOR   BOTH   LIGHT   AND  FALLING §.§§.§§..§
.§§§....§.               STUDENTS...                §§.§§.§.§§
§..§...§§§                                          .§§.§§§§.§
§.§§..§..§ IN  THE FALL, THE QUARTZ  SLICED OFF THE §.§§...§§.
§§.§.§§.§§ THREADS  IN HIS  EYES, OPENING  THEM FOR §§.§..§.§§
.§§§§.§§.. THE   FIRST   TIME.   BEFORE   HIM,  THE .§§§.§§§..
§...§§.§.§ CRYSTALS MIRRORED  AND REFRACTED THE ONE §..§§..§..
§..§.§§§§§ LIGHT  SMIDGE  INTO  A  WHOLE NIGHT SKY, §.§.§.§§.§
§.§§§....§ AND   HE   WAS   STRUCK  DOWN  WITH  AWE §§§§§§.§§.
§§..§...§§                                          .....§§.§§
.§.§§..§.§ BUT ALSO  WITH  SHAME, BECAUSE  HIS EYES ....§.§§..
§§§.§.§§§§ HAD  SEEN.  HURRIEDLY,  HE  USED  THREAD ...§§§.§..
..§§§§...§ FROM   HIS  ROBE   TO  SEW   THEM   BACK ..§..§§§.§
.§...§..§. TOGETHER, AND  WHEN HELP CAME HE DID NOT .§§.§..§§§
§§..§§.§§§        TELL OF HIS TRANSGRESSION.        §.§§§.§..§
.§.§.§§..§                                          §§..§§§.§.
§§§§§.§.§. FOR  YEARS  HE STUDIED AT THE GUILD.  HE .§.§..§§§.
....§§§§§. BECAME  A  MASTER, AND  THEN A  PILGRIM. §§§§.§..§§
...§....§§ YET THE  IMAGE FROM THE  CAVE NEVER LEFT ...§§§.§.§
..§§...§.§                   HIM.                   ..§..§§§§§
.§.§..§§§.                                          .§§.§....§
§§§§.§..§. AT  THE  END OF HIS  LIFE,  WHEN AT  THE §.§§§...§§
...§§§.§§§ EDGE OF  THE WORLD  HE  OPENED HIS  EYES §§..§..§..
..§..§§... FOR A SECOND TIME,  STARS HAD HATCHED IN .§.§§.§§..
.§§.§.§...                 THEM...                  §§§.§§.§..
§.§§§§§...                                          ..§§.§§§..
§§....§..§                                          .§.§§..§.§
.§...§§.§§                                          §§§.§.§§§.
§§..§.§§..                                          ..§§§§..§.
.§.§§§.§.§                                          .§...§.§§§