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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. ¨^=†§%%^$@
@&¤;~.¨,.¨ ¨.,¨.~;¤&@
###§$=/~^, ,^~/=$§###
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