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