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