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