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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$@AWARENESS#     ##@&¤§=~-.
..,.¨¨^«^&  #%OF%¤EXACTLY@@HOW@THEY&HAD¤TRAVELED,&# &^«^¨¨.,..
.~=%*§@###  #£OF@THE¶WAY@HOME@@TO¶THE£TIME@FROM@¶   ###@§*%=~.
.^=§*¤@###   #@WHERE#THEY#CAME,@@#####AND#THEN##@@  ###@¤*§=^.
^=/%*¤@@##   #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS^KNOWLEDGE\~   ##@@¤*%/=^
¨:~:§§§¶@#   ~=BEING » STOLEN «- FROM »~« THEM. ,   #@¶§§§:~:¨
...~†;;£¤#          »- ,  «=~ .  ~,  ~«  -          #¤£;;†~...
,.-~-*%%&@    ~   :.          ~                .    @&%%*-~-.,
¨~~†*§@@##        ,      ¨          ,      §        ##@@§*†~~¨
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.-»\^*£@##                    ,#¨                   ##@£*^\»-.
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..:«~«%$§£                   AND,                   £§$%«~«:..
...¨,.»†@#                                          #@†».,¨...
¨,¨,-=-†££  NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED.  ££†-=-,¨,¨
.,«††£¤@##        NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.       ##@¤£††«,.
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