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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. . ,.@#&¤#¨&,
,@&....,¨, -- , «-- , =¨ ,» » ¨@¨.¨,&¤§,
&.#.,,¨,¨¨ . ,: ~ , &¤¨¨,§,.§,
¤¤£,..¨¨¨# . , , † .&,,£§¨¤£¤
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,§£¨.¨¨¤,# ¨#, ¨¤&§@¨§.,¨
§,¤.,,§£§. §,..@£¤¨..
&@#,,&,,§¤ AND, £,¨&¨.£.,£
¨,@¨§¤¨¤.£ &.@£¨§¤.&,
,#£&.#@¤&. NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. &#.&£¨§#@,
#.¨§¤.¨,¤£ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ¨§@¨£#¨.#.
£,&,£¨,£¨¨ &¨&§,¤¨&£§
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