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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. ###&&=^~^¨
..~*$$%# NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ##&%$$*~..
.^~=†@§#@# #@#§@†=~^.
¨~»\%&§@## ##@§&%\»~¨
,.¨,.††§$@ @$§††.,¨.,
.~«*%£¤@#@ @#@¤£%*«~.
,,,.:;%@¤¶ ¶¤@%;:.,,,