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