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