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