:«.,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,.«:
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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. .,,.-»=%##
#*†=^....¨ ¨....^=†*#
=*~...,.¨. .¨.,...~*=
/~,¨..¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨..¨,~/
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,.,.,¨,.,¨ ¨,.,¨,.,.,