¤¤¤¤*%:~:, ,:~:%*¤¤¤¤
¤*%:~~~::, ,::~~~:%*¤
¤%~:,,,,,, ,,,,,,:~%¤
#@¤¤*%:~:, ,:~:%*¤¤@#
#¤*%~~:,,, ,,,:~~%*¤#
##@¤*%:~:, ,,,:,,, ,:~:%*¤@##
###¤*%:~:, 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... ,:~:%*¤@##
@@¤¤*%:~:, ,:~:%*¤¤@@
¤%~,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,~%¤
#¤*:~:,,,, ,,,,:~:*¤#
##@¤*%:~:, ,:~:%*¤@##
@¤%::,,,,, ,,,,,::%¤@