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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. ,.¨¨.,«*^&
£$^*».¨,,¨ ¨,,¨.»*^$£
¶@%**--¨,¨ ¨,¨--**%@¶
#¶&£$†~-,, ,,-~†$£&¶#
###@¤$/«-, ,-«/$¤@###
#£&&*†-^¨, ,¨^-†*&&£#