&.....&..& .....&&.&&
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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. . #@¨.@.£#.¨
,¨.,.&,§£. =- . «~= . ~. -~ - .§@,,.#£#.
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&£..,,.,¨@ ¨¨,§§#,¨@¨
@¤#¨,.¨¨,£ ¨#. ,¨,§.&#,..
¤¨£¤¨¨..,, ¤¨.¨.§§@,,
¨.£§&.¨¨.¨ AND, ¨&¨,.&,§@¨
..#,&&..,. ,.@¨¨.,#£#
&.¨.¤@#.., NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. §.,§,.¨@,&
£@,,£.¤#.. NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. .¤,¨§.,..¤
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.@£¤¨.§,&§ £,¨£.¨#¨¨.
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