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