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