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