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