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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;« .~~;$&§@@#
#*%~~.¨.,, »-BEING « STOLEN »= FROM »~~ THEM. , ,,.¨.~~%*#
@@#£*%/«,. -= , -»» . »¨ -» ~ .,«/%*£#@@
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#@#¤£^:=,, ,,=:^£¤#@#
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##¶#£%*=~. .~=*%£#¶##
#@@§%$;»,, AND, ,,»;$%§@@#
###@$§*»,. .,»*§$@###
@£%$=;-.¨¨ NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ¨¨.-;=$%£@
@@##$%:»:¨ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ¨:»:%$##@@
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