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¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§ ¨¨¨::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::¨¨¨ ¨§¨§¨§§¨§¨
§§¨§¨§¨§¨§ ¨:: 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..... :«¨ ¨§¨§¨¨§¨§¨
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§ ¨¨¨::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::¨¨¨ ¨§¨§¨§§¨§¨
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§§¨§¨§¨§¨§ ¨§¨§¨¨§¨§¨
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