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