#¶¤*/««... ...««/*¤¶#
¤**/«--... ...--«/**¤
##¶¤**/«-. .-«/**¤¶##
#¤*/---... ...---/*¤#
¤¤*«-..... .....-«*¤¤
¤**///-... # «««««««««««««««««««« # ...-///**¤
¤***/«--.. / 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. ¨:~†*§&@##
##@@§*\~~, ,~~\*§@@##
#£$/~-,,,, ,,,,-~/$£#
#££%=-~,,, ,,,~-=%££#
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