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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. &§£§&@@§§£
@§&£&@#£§# £§¤¤¤#§§&¤
#@@¤¤§§@@¤ &&£§¤&£¤§#
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