#¤*=/~^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^~/=*¤#
¤*=/~^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^~/=*¤
*=/~^¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨^~/=*
=/~^¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~/=
/~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~/
~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ //////////////////////////////////////// ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~
/~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~/
=/~^¨¨¨¨¨¨ //////////////////////////////////////// ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~/=
*=/~^¨¨¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨¨¨¨^~/=*
¤*=/~^¨¨¨¨ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ¨¨¨¨^~/=*¤
#¤*=/~^¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨^~/=*¤#
@#¤*=/~^¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨^~/=*¤#@
#@#¤*=/~^¨ ¨^~/=*¤#@#
@#¤*=/~^¨¨ ¨¨^~/=*¤#@
#¤*=/~^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^~/=*¤#
¤*=/~^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^~/=*¤
*=/~^¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨^~/=*