¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=                                          =^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^                                          ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^                                          ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=                                          =^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=: ¨¨¨^^^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::^^^¨¨¨ :=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^=:$ ¨^:            THE  SPIRE            =:¨ $:=^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^=:$& =:^==================================:=^ &$:=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=:$&# :=^ ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A    :^= #&$:=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^=:$&#¶ :^=  BENEVOLENT SPIRE, TOWERING WELL ^:= ¶#&$:=^¨¨¨
¨¨^=:$&#¶# ^:= ABOVE OUR TALLEST TREES.  IT WAS ^=: #¶#&$:=^¨¨
¨^=:$&#¶## ^=: CLAD IN WHITE SCALES, AND SHAPED =^: ##¶#&$:=^¨
¨¨^=:$&#¶# =^:       LIKED   A  MUSHROOM.       =:^ #¶#&$:=^¨¨
¨¨¨^=:$&#¶ =:^      WE  LOVED  IT  DEARLY.      :=^ ¶#&$:=^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=:$&# :=^==================================:^= #&$:=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^=:$& :^=  IT  PREDATED US BY MANY  YEARS, ^:= &$:=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^=:$ ^:= AND WE DID NOT KNOW ITS ORIGINAL ^=: $:=^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=: ^=:  BUILDERS.  THEY  HAD  USED  ITS =^: :=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^= =^:  HOLLOW BODY  FOR MANY  STRANGE  =:^ =^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^ =:^ PURPOSES -  A  WOMBLIKE PLACE OF :=^ ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ :=^ GESTATION, A STORAGE OF  STRAGE  :^= ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^ :^= FLUIDS, A TEMPLE TO SOME KIND OF ^:= ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^= ^:=    ARCANE    DEITY.              ^=: =^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=: ^=:===================================^: :=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^=:$ =^:  WE  WERE  GRATEFUL   FOR   ITS  =:^ $:=^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^=:$& =:^  PRESENCE,  AND  HONORED IT THE  :=^ &$:=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=:$&# :=^  ONLY  WAY  WE  KNEW   HOW:  BY  :^= #&$:=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^=:$&#¶ ¨^=        BREAKING        IN.       ^=¨ ¶#&$:=^¨¨¨
¨¨^=:$&#¶# ¨¨¨^^^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::^^^¨¨¨ #¶#&$:=^¨¨
¨^=:$&#¶##                                          ##¶#&$:=^¨
¨¨^=:$&#¶#                                          #¶#&$:=^¨¨
¨¨¨^=:$&#¶ ¨¨¨^^^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::^^^¨¨¨ ¶#&$:=^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=:$&# ¨=:  THIS PLACE  WE CALLED OUR CITY: ^:= #&$:=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^=:$& ^:=  WAVY AND FRACTURED, WITH  EACH  :^= &$:=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^=:$ :^= COURTYARD ON A DIFFERENT HEIGHT, :=^ $:=^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=: :=^  ROADS  BECOMING ROOFS  BECOMING =:^ :=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^= =:^ DRAINS. AND SOME  PLACES,  LIKE  =^: =^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^ =^: THE SPIRE,  NOBODY HAD ACCESSED  ^=: ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^=: FOR MANY YEARS. ONCE  ITS WALLS  ^:= ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^ ^:=  ARE  JUST TOO  HIGH,  AND  THE  :^= ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^= :^= INTERNAL ROUTES TO LABYRINTHINE, :=^ =^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=: :=^ A PLACE AMONG OTHERS  IS EASILY  =:^ :=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^=:$ =:^            OVERLOOKED.           ^=: $:=^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^=:$& ^=:==================================^:= &$:=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=:$&# ^:= SO, BASICALLY, THAT  SUMMER  THE :^= #&$:=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^=:$&#¶ :^= FOUR OF US SNUCK AND CLIMBED AND =^: ¶#&$:=^¨¨¨
¨¨^=:$&#¶# :=^ CRAWLED FOR WEEKS, SEARCHING FOR =:^ #¶#&$:=^¨¨
¨^=:$&#¶## =:^ A SECLUDED PLACE TO DO DRUGS AND =^: ##¶#&$:=^¨
¨¨^=:$&#¶# =^: PLAY MUSIC  ON OUR  HANDHELDS.   ^=: #¶#&$:=^¨¨
¨¨¨^=:$&#¶ ^=:  INSTEAD  WE FOUND  VAST  LUNGS  ^:= ¶#&$:=^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=:$&# ^:=  DRAINED  OF  THEIR   CATALYST   :^= #&$:=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^=:$& :^= SLUDGE, AND A BIRDS-EYE VIEW  TO :=^ &$:=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^=:$ :=^  MAKE  SENSE OF OUR ROAMINGS FOR =:^ $:=^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=: =:^         YEARS  TO   COME.        =^: :=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^= =^:==================================^=: =^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^ ^=: A  CENTRAL  SPINE,  A STAIRCASE  ^:= ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^:= AROUND  IT, THE  SEVEN TOROIDAL  :^= ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^ :^= LUNGS STACKED OUTSIDE,  AND  THE :=^ ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^= :=^ CONTROL ROOM ON TOP. THE SOCKETS =:^ =^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=: =:^ FOR ITS EYES. THE SMALLER SPIRES =^: :=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^=:$ =^:   FOR  RADIATING  CONSCIOUSNESS  ^=: $:=^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^=:$& ¨=:           INVITATIONS.           ^:¨ &$:=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=:$&# ¨¨¨^^^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::^^^¨¨¨ #&$:=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^=:$&#¶                                          ¶#&$:=^¨¨¨
¨¨^=:$&#¶# ¨¨¨^^^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::^^^¨¨¨ #¶#&$:=^¨¨
¨^=:$&#¶## ¨^: IN TWENTY FOURTEEN, THE TOWER IS :=^ ##¶#&$:=^¨
¨¨^=:$&#¶# =:^  TOPPLED  AND EATEN BY MACHINES. :^= #¶#&$:=^¨¨
¨¨¨^=:$&#¶ :=^ AFTER A WHILE, SOMETHING NEW IS  ^:= ¶#&$:=^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=:$&# :^=  CONJURED IN ITS  PLACE. IT'S A  ^=: #&$:=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^=:$& ^:=  TINY MAW AT FIRST, SHORTER THAN =^: &$:=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^=:$ ^=:  US,  AND  WE  LET  IT  BE. OUR  =:^ $:=^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=: =^: JOURNEYS STILL  END AT ITS FEET. :=^ :=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^= =:^==================================:^= =^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^ :=^ BUT THEN WE  ARE  BETRAYED. THE  ^:= ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ :^= NEW  TOWER  EATS US. OTHERS ARE  ^=: ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^ ^:= SUCKED INSIDE. NEW BUILDINGS ARE =^: ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^= ^=:  MANIFESTED  OVERNIGHT, ONLY TO  =:^ =^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=: =^: DISAPPEAR  IN THE EVENING  FOG.  :=^ :=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^=:$ =:^  FOR  A WHILE ITS  SOME KIND OF  :^= $:=^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^=:$& :=^ TIMESHARE SCAM. GOONS ARE PLACED ^:= &$:=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=:$&# :^=  OUTSIDE, AND WE GET BEATEN UP A ^=: #&$:=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^=:$&#¶ ^:=  FEW  TIMES,  AND  STOP  GOING.  =^: ¶#&$:=^¨¨¨
¨¨^=:$&#¶# ^=:===================================:^ #¶#&$:=^¨¨
¨^=:$&#¶## =^:  IIRC  IT'S CURRENTLY OWNED  BY  :=^ ##¶#&$:=^¨
¨¨^=:$&#¶# =:^ SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES :^= #¶#&$:=^¨¨
¨¨¨^=:$&#¶ :=^ IT TO  HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT ^:= ¶#&$:=^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=:$&# ¨^=            CARS.....             ^=¨ #&$:=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^=:$& ¨¨¨^^^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::^^^¨¨¨ &$:=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^=:$                                          $:=^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=:                                          :=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=                                          =^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^                                          ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨