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