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