¨,«:§£§¶##                                          ##¶§£§:«,¨
¨,«:§££§§#                                          #§§££§:«,¨
¨¨¨¨«:£§§¶                                          ¶§§£:«¨¨¨¨
¨,«:§£¶###                                          ###¶£§:«,¨
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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.  £@%*^^.,.¨
¨-~†%$¤&@¤       NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER.        ¤@&¤$%†~-¨
¨,¨¨:~«*¤#                                          #¤*«~:¨¨,¨
.¨¨,-~=†$£                                          £$†=~-,¨¨.
,.,,¨.~=*#                                          #*=~.¨,,.,
¨,~:=$£###                                          ###£$=:~,¨
,,..¨-/*¤#                                          #¤*/-¨..,,