@$=~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~=$@
##@$=»»~~, ,~~»»=$@##
@#%%=»~~~, ,~~~»=%%#@
##@@%$=»~, ,~»=$%@@##
#@#@%$=»~, ,~»=$%@#@#
#%%%$»»,,, # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ,,,»»$%%%#
@$==»,,,,, = THE WOLF POOL EXISTS = ,,,,,»==$@
@#%$»,,,,, = IN A STALE TIMELINE, = ,,,,,»$%#@
#%==~~~,,, = 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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##£¤$§:=^. .^=:§$¤£##