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