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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... ; ¨¨.»;%£#¶@
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@@&§\~-¨,. 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. ¨.¨,,...^«
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@%†^«^..,, 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. ¨.,=†*%£#@
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#%^\=~,¨,¨ ¨#, ¨,¨,~=\^%#
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§:=,,,,¨¨¨ 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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