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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. .¤,.&.£,&¨
¤¨.&,@#.£¨ ,§.&¤¨@,£.
#,@£,,&.@¨ ¨@,.#.§,@¨
@.,§¨§&,&. ,#.§§,#.£¨
§¨¤#..£¨#¨ .£¨.§,£.£¨
§,¨¤.#£¨&¨ .&.£&¨&.&.