££*^^.....                                          .....^^*££
#££££=*~^.                                          .^~*=££££#
##¶££=*~^.                                          .^~*=££¶##
£=~.......                                          .......~=£
##¶££=*~^.                                          .^~*=££¶##
##¶££=*~^.         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         .^~*=££¶##
##¶££=*~^.         * 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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##@¤&%:»,.                                          .,»:%&¤@##
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