,-«;%£@£##                                          ##£@£%;«-,
,,,,-;£@@@                                          @@@£;-,,,,
,-«;%£@@£#                                          #£@@£%;«-,
,-«;%£@£##                                          ##£@£%;«-,
,,,,,-;%£@                                          @£%;-,,,,,
,-«;%£@£##         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ##£@£%;«-,
,-«;%£@@@£         ; 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.       &@&&*=/=^.
¨,«**@####                                          ####@**«,¨
¨,,¨^,†$§§                                          §§$†,^¨,,¨
¨~»*%%@@##                                          ##@@%%*»~¨
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.^=†**#@@#                                          #@@#**†=^.