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