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