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