####@%;».. ..»;%@####
##@%»..... .....»%@##
##@;;».... ....»;;@##
#%%»»..... .....»»%%#
####@%;».. ..»;%@####
##%»»..... # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # .....»»%##
##%»...... ; 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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