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