###@#@†=,¨ ¨,=†@#@###
##@#@†=,¨¨ ¨¨,=†@#@##
#@#@†=,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,=†@#@#
##@#@†=,¨¨ ¨¨,=†@#@##
###@#@†=,¨ ¨,=†@#@###
##@#@†=,¨¨ # ==================== # ¨¨,=†@#@##
#@#@†=,¨¨¨ † 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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