,,,,^~;=££ ££=;~^,,,,
,,,^~;=££¶ ¶££=;~^,,,
,,^~;=££¶@ @¶££=;~^,,
,^~;=££¶@# #@¶££=;~^,
,,^~;=££¶@ @¶££=;~^,,
,,,^~;=££¶ # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ¶££=;~^,,,
,,,,^~;=££ ; 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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