§§\,,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,,\§§
§§§\\\\=,¨                                          ¨,=\\\\§§§
#@§§£§\=,¨                                          ¨,=\§£§§@#
##@§£§\=,¨                                          ¨,=\§£§@##
##@§£§\=,¨                                          ¨,=\§£§@##
@§§§===,,¨         # ==================== #         ¨,,===§§§@
§§\,,¨¨¨¨¨         \ THE WOLF POOL EXISTS \         ¨¨¨¨¨,,\§§
#§§§£§\=,¨         \ IN A STALE TIMELINE, \         ¨,=\§£§§§#
##@§£§\=,¨         \  BRANCHED WAY BACK   \         ¨,=\§£§@##
§§§§\\=,¨¨         \  WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR  \         ¨¨,=\\§§§§
##@§£§\=,¨         \  WAS ALMOST BARREN,  \         ¨,=\§£§@##
§£\\,,¨¨¨¨ COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL,  ¨¨¨¨,,\\£§
##@§£§\=,¨  AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW,  ¨,=\§£§@##
##@§£§\=,¨         \        AT ALL...     \         ¨,=\§£§@##
@£\\==,¨¨¨         # ==================== #         ¨¨¨,==\\£@
###§§=:«~.                                          .~«:=§§###
@@£@&%†~-,     MISPLACED EXPLORERS TRAVERSE THE     ,-~†%&@£@@
####%=\«-,   LANDSCAPE, SEARCHING FOR A WAY BACK,   ,-«\=%####
##£@£=\-:,  FINDING INSTEAD ONLY STONE AND DIRT AND ,:-\=£@£##
#¶##$^;-~¨  ROOTS THAT ARE AS HARD AS THE GROUND.   ¨~-;^$##¶#
##@¤$§*~.,   IT'S GETTING DARK, THEY ARE THIRSTY,   ,.~*§$¤@##
####&*=-.¨     AND ABOUT TO FIND THE WOLF POOL.     ¨.-=*&####
##££@*;~^.                                          .^~;*@££##
##£&%*^=,.                   ,#.                    .,=^*%&£##
@*/~:.¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨.:~/*@
##@£§%:-,.    THE POOL LIES IN A SMALL METEORITE    .,-:%§£@##
##¶£¤*†«:.   IMPACT CRATER, SIXTY METERS ACROSS.    .:«†*¤£¶##
##£§$§\»^¨   IT'S SURFACE IS PITCH BLACK AND EVEN   ¨^»\§$§£##
&$†.:,¨¨¨¨  THOUGH IT'S NOT WELL PROTECTED, IT IS   ¨¨¨¨,:.†$&
##¶@£%†=,,           UNDISTURBED BY WIND.           ,,=†%£@¶##
#@@¤£†^-..                                          ..-^†£¤@@#
##£@$$*~~,                    ,#¨                   ,~~*$$@£##
#@£@%=*=-¨                                          ¨-=*=%@£@#
£&§%§~.,,,     AS THEY STUMBLE ON THE POOL, THE     ,,,.~§%§&£
#@*--.¨..¨ EXPLORERS FIRST BELIEVE IT TO BE WATER,  ¨..¨.--*@#
###¶¤%%/~^    WHICH IS SOMETHING THEY ALL DESIRE    ^~/%%¤¶###
@#@@§-:..,   GREATLY AT THIS POINT. THEY FAIL TO    ,..:-§@@#@
#%/-,¨,.,. NOTICE THAT THE STARS DO NOT REFLECT ON  .,.,¨,-/%#
##@£@===,,   ITS SURFACE. ONE OF THEM CROUCHES TO   ,,===@£@##
£%§¤£%:=.¨    DRINK, FORMS A CUP WITH HIS HANDS,    ¨.=:%£¤§%£
##¶#£%†--¨      LOWERS THE CUP INTO THE POOL.       ¨--†%£#¶##
£§#&£*†=-¨                                          ¨-=†*£&#§£
@£;~,,.¨.. HE TRIES TO RESIST AT FIRST, BUT IS TOO  ..¨.,,~;£@
#£†«.¨,¨,¨  CLOSE, AND HE QUICKLY GIVES UP AS THE   ¨,¨,¨.«†£#
##@&£§/-:¨  LIQUID FLOWS INTO HIS MIND. THE OTHERS, ¨:-/§£&@##
¶£*/~,^,.,   = NOT UNDERSTANDING THE~DANGER, MOVE   ,.,^,~/*£¶
##@¤*%\«-,       CLOSER TO HELP THEIR,FRIEND.       ,-«\%*¤@##
##@¤¤^†=,¨       ¨      «    ~            , .       ¨,=†^¤¤@##
#¤£§&$:--¨    AND.THEN.THE¨POOL¨ANNOUNCES,ITSELF    ¨--:$&§£¤#
#@@&&=/~^.     TO.THEM,-,SUDDEN¨-.THOUGHTS.OF,      .^~/=&&@@#
###@#%:«-.   ,^=DARK=WOLVES-¨CLIMBING-OUT.OF,.^=    .-«:%#@###
#£@@@%†~,,    ~~=THE»POOL,«SURROUNDING^THEM=-/^;    ,,~†%@@@£#
##¶#¤§=-:¨     \SUDDEN\THOUGHTS^OF~»:CLIMBING/%*    ¨:-=§¤#¶##
##£#$$=~-,   INTO*THE*POOL,†THEIR†THIRST%FLARING†   ,-~=$$#£##
###¤*=^~,,     ^§§BRIGHT*-%@A£SUDDEN$&AWARENESS#    ,,~^=*¤###
##¶#£$=~,, #£OF§¤EXACTLY#¶HOW¤THEY&HAD£TRAVELED,¤#  ,,~=$£#¶##
#@¤**†«^¨.   #£OF#THE£WAY@HOME£@TO£THE@TIME@FROM#¶  .¨^«†**¤@#
##@#&%†=^,  ##WHERE#THEY#CAME,@#####@AND@THEN###@   ,^=†%&#@##
§†%*†*=-^¨   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS^KNOWLEDGE†~   ¨^-=*†*%†§
#@#£$*/»:¨   -=BEING « STOLEN ~~ FROM «=» THEM. .   ¨:»/*$£#@#
###¶¤*†~-¨          ~= ,  »=» ¨  ~¨  ,»  ~          ¨-~†*¤¶###
#@@@£%*~-¨    ,   -^          ~                ¨    ¨-~*%£@@@#
#@@¤@%=--.        .      .          ¨      *        .--=%@¤@@#
¶£¤;»»....                                          ....»»;¤£¶
##¶££=†»,,                    ,#.                   ,,»†=££¶##
#@¶§£=*--,                                          ,--*=£§¶@#
####£%$«~,                   AND,                   ,~«$%£####
£@@§*=/-,.                                          .,-/=*§@@£
#£††:--,¨¨  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ¨¨,--:††£#
§%$\,..,¨¨        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ¨¨,..,\$%§
@£%$†$=-~,                                          ,~-=$†$%£@
##&%«.¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨.«%&##
###§£*/-..                                          ..-/*£§###
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###§$^:-^,                                          ,^-:^$§###