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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... * ¨¨###¨¨###
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.##§¤#£..¨ ,¨,.¨§§¨.,
,.&&§#¨¨&, 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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