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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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