,,«**§@###                                          ###@§**«,,
,,«**£@###                                          ###@£**«,,
,,,,«*£§§§                                          §§§£*«,,,,
,,«**££§@@                                          @@§££**«,,
,,«**£§@##                                          ##@§£**«,,
,,«**£§@##         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ##@§£**«,,
,,«**£§@@#         * 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.       ##¶#%§=~:¨
.:~^$$$&&£                                          £&&$$$^~:.
¨,==;*^%#@                                          @#%^*;==,¨
.:=†%&£###                                          ###£&%†=:.
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,~-:*&££##                                          ##££&*:-~,