.....-»†%% %%†»-.....
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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¶# $%†«.,,,,,
¨,¨,¨¨-~** ##WHERE@THEY#CAME,#@@####AND@THEN###@ **~-¨¨,¨,¨
.¨,..¨¨,»= #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS^KNOWLEDGE/- =»,¨¨..,¨.
¨.¨,,¨¨.,~ =~BEING = STOLEN ~» FROM -=~ THEM. . ~,.¨¨,,¨.¨
¨,.,¨,.,,, «= , ==~ ¨ «. ~« » ,,,.,¨,.,¨
¨¨.,,.,,.. - ,~ , , ..,,.,,.¨¨
¨¨,..¨¨,,. . , ¨ * .,,¨¨..,¨¨
.,.,,,¨¨,. .,¨¨,,,.,.
,,,,..¨.., ¨#¨ ,..¨..,,,,
¨,,¨,,¨,,. .,,¨,,¨,,¨
,,..,,.,.¨ AND, ¨.,.,,..,,
,,....,¨,¨ ¨,¨,....,,
¨..,..,.,, NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ,,.,..,..¨
,,...¨¨,^« NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. «^,¨¨...,,
¨.¨.,..-=\ \=-..,.¨.¨
.¨¨¨¨¨~«:* *:«~¨¨¨¨¨.
¨,,,..~;$£ £$;~..,,,¨
,¨¨..=\*§§ §§*\=..¨¨,
,.¨,~/=%¤# #¤%=/~,¨.,