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