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