,,,,,,,,,: :,,,,,,,,,
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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. ,,¨¨,,¨.,,
.¨,¨¨¨,,,. .,,,¨¨¨,¨.
..¨¨,¨¨,¨. .¨,¨¨,¨¨..
¨..,.¨.,.¨ ¨.,.¨.,..¨
¨.,,.¨,,,, ,,,,¨.,,.¨
,¨¨,.,¨¨.¨ ¨.¨¨,.,¨¨,