¤$»»:..... .....:»»$¤
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@@$$\»:... ...:»\$$@@
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#@@¤@$\»:. .:»\$@¤@@#
@@@¤@$\»:. # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # .:»\$@¤@@@
#@@¤@$\»:. \ THE WOLF POOL EXISTS \ .:»\$@¤@@#
@@\\::.... \ IN A STALE TIMELINE, \ ....::\\@@
¤$$»:..... \ 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. ¨ ¨¨¨.»/^§#¤
###£%§;».¨ ~~ . »-= . ~, ^~ ~ ¨.»;§%£###
#¤&$**†~~. . ~: : . .~~†**$&¤#
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#@¶#@§†«.. ..«†§@#¶@#
#@£^\:.,,. ,#. .,,.:\^£@#
#@#&§$\~-, ,-~\$§&#@#
@@£^%=^¨¨¨ AND, ¨¨¨^=%^£@@
#@#¤£**~-. .-~**£¤#@#
#¶#£&†:»:, NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ,:»:†&£#¶#
#@§*:,,.,¨ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ¨,.,,:*§@#
¶#$†:^~,,¨ ¨,,~^:†$#¶
##@#¤*;-^. .^-;*¤#@##
@#%=\--,¨, ,¨,--\=%#@
#&§%~~.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.~~%§&#
####$*†=,¨ ¨,=†*$####