,:==%&£#@# #@#£&%==:,
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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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.¨.¨¨,»;** AND, **;»,¨¨.¨.
.,¨¨:~**&@ @&**~:¨¨,.
,¨,^~/$¤&# NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. #&¤$/~^,¨,
,,,~:*$££@ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. @££$*:~,,,
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