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%*=-:¨¨¨¨¨ =:- BENEVOLENT SPIRE, TOWERING WELL :=- ¨¨¨¨¨:-=*%
*=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ :=- ABOVE OUR TALLEST TREES. IT WAS :-= ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=*
=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ :-= CLAD IN WHITE SCALES, AND SHAPED -:= ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=
*=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ -:= LIKED A MUSHROOM. -=: ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=*
%*=-:¨¨¨¨¨ -=: WE LOVED IT DEARLY. =-: ¨¨¨¨¨:-=*%
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¶£%*=-:¨¨¨ =:- 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. :-¨ ¨¨¨:-=*%£¶
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£%*=-:¨¨¨¨ ¨-= THIS PLACE WE CALLED OUR CITY: :=- ¨¨¨¨:-=*%£
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*=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ =:- 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. :-= ¨¨:-=*%£¶@
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£%*=-:¨¨¨¨ :=- 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. -:= ¨:-=*%£¶@#
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£%*=-:¨¨¨¨ :=- 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. :=¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:-=*%
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#@¶£%*=-:¨ ¨:= 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. -:= ¨¨¨¨¨:-=*%
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=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ -:= IIRC IT'S CURRENTLY OWNED BY =-: ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=
*=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ -=: SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES =:- ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=*
%*=-:¨¨¨¨¨ =-: IT TO HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT :=- ¨¨¨¨¨:-=*%
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