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