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