£@=-...... ......-=@£
#@@£@^=--. .--=^@£@@#
@@£@@^=--. .--=^@@£@@
##@£@^=--. .--=^@£@##
##@£@^=--. .--=^@£@##
£^--...... . . . ......--^£
@@@£@^=--. . . . . . . .--=^@£@@@
@@@£@^=--. - - - - - - - - .--=^@£@@@
@£@@=-.... - - - - - - - - - - - ....-=@@£@
#@@£@^=--. ======================================== .--=^@£@@#
££@=-..... .....-=@££
@@@£@^=--. 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. ...----^£@
@@£@^^=--. .--=^^@£@@
@@@£@^=--. ======================================== .--=^@£@@@
##@@£@^=-- - - - - - - - - - - - --=^@£@@##
£@@=-..... - - - - - - - - .....-=@@£
@@=---.... . . . . . . ....---=@@
£@@=----.. . . . ..----=@@£
#@@£@^=--. .--=^@£@@#
##@@£@^=-. .-=^@£@@##
@@@^=--... ...--=^@@@
#@@£@^=--. .--=^@£@@#
@@@£@^=--. .--=^@£@@@