,~~~///$## ##$///~~~,
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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. , ¤$@†«=~.¨¨
.-»*%%##@# »» , »=- . ~¨ .- ~ #@##%%*»-.
,,»=%%%&#@ , ^. : . @#&%%%=»,,
,~~*%%§£¤£ . . , § £¤£§%%*~~,
..=†%£&#@# #@#&£%†=..
.^«††§¤&## ¨#, ##&¤§††«^.
,..,¨~:*%£ £%*:~¨,..,
¨^»\§%¤@@# AND, #@@¤%§\»^¨
.,-««^%§#@ @#§%^««-,.
...~†:*†@# NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. #@†*:†~...
.,»^£¤#### NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ####¤£^»,.
,¨.¨:\;$%§ §%$;\:¨.¨,
.-»†%§@¶@# #@¶@§%†»-.
..-;*$#@## ##@#$*;-..
,,,,.:;:¤£ £¤:;:.,,,,
,.-/*§£### ###£§*/-.,