##@¤§%\-~. .~-\%§¤@##
@@¶¤§%\-~. .~-\%§¤¶@@
¤§\-~..... .....~-\§¤
#@¶¤§%\-~. .~-\%§¤¶@#
¶¶§§\\~~~. .~~~\\§§¶¶
¶¤§§§%\-~. # -------------------- # .~-\%§§§¤¶
¶§§§\-~~.. \ 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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##¶&$*=«,, ,,«=*$&¶##
@@^/;~=-¨¨ ¨¨-=~;/^@@