¨¨¨¨¨=%%@@ @@%%=¨¨¨¨¨
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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. . @#&=»~¨..,
,¨¨,¨¨.~*§ «= , ~-~ , ». ^- ~ §*~.¨¨,¨¨,
¨^»:=§#### , ^: ^ . ####§=:»^¨
.,-**†§£@# . . , ^ #@£§†**-,.
..,¨:†§^£¤ ¤£^§†:¨,..
¨¨,.,=^†§# ,#, #§†^=,.,¨¨
,¨,..,\†%@ @%†\,..,¨,
¨..~«§%&@# AND, #@&%§«~..¨
¨:«;/\^%@§ §@%^\/;«:¨
,.~^%*^*%# NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. #%*^*%^~.,
¨~==*%¤#£@ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. @£#¤%*==~¨
,:-^§§#### ####§§^-:,
¨-~/†¤@§@# #@§@¤†/~-¨
.,=\%$££@# #@££$%\=,.
¨-~=%@#### ####@%=~-¨
.,¨¨-:*$@£ £@$*:-¨¨,.