,,,,,,~;%£                                          £%;~,,,,,,
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,~«;%$££##         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ##££$%;«~,
,,,,,«%$£#         ; THE WOLF POOL EXISTS ;         #£$%«,,,,,
,~«;;%%$$£         ; IN A STALE TIMELINE, ;         £$$%%;;«~,
,,,,«;%%££         ;  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#    @#%^^,¨¨,,
.¨¨¨-~=%@@  #$OF£#EXACTLY&£HOW¤THEY@HAD#TRAVELED,§# @@%=~-¨¨¨.
¨,»\§†¤§@#   #£OF£THE@WAY£HOME@@TO@THE@TIME£FROM##  #@§¤†§\»,¨
.:«**¤@@##   #@WHERE@THEY#CAME,###@@#@AND@THEN#@##  ##@@¤**«:.
¨^-:%££¶##   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS†KNOWLEDGE^=   ##¶££%:-^¨
¨.¨...¨«†£   ~-BEING » STOLEN -« FROM --» THEM. ,   £†«¨...¨.¨
¨:-=*$£¶##          == ¨  »-= ,  =.  ^~  ~          ##¶£$*=-:¨
.,,.~;=&§§    ,   ,,          ,                ¨    §§&=;~.,,.
,:-^$$&¶##        ,      .          .      %        ##¶&$$^-:,
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,.»†$£§£##                    .#,                   ##£§£$†».,
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¨^=;%%§@@#                   AND,                   #@@§%%;=^¨
¨,«*^¤£&¤@                                          @¤&£¤^*«,¨
,--^$¤@###  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ###@¤$^--,
,,¨¨¨«;§&#       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        #&§;«¨¨¨,,
.~~\$$#&@#                                          #@&#$$\~~.
¨:-/$&&£##                                          ##£&&$/-:¨
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