##£§£*/»-¨ ¨-»/*£§£##
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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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