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