,-»*££@@## ##@@££*»-,
,,-»*££@@# #@@££*»-,,
,,,-»*££@@ @@££*»-,,,
,,,,-»*££@ @££*»-,,,,
,,,,,-»*££ ££*»-,,,,,
,,,,,,-»*£ # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # £*»-,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-»* * 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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