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