¨-=/%%¤¤¤# #¤¤¤%%/=-¨
¨-=/%%%¤¤# #¤¤%%%/=-¨
¨¨¨¨-/%¤¤¤ ¤¤¤%/-¨¨¨¨
¨-=/%%¤¤¤# #¤¤¤%%/=-¨
¨-=/%%¤### ###¤%%/=-¨
¨-=/%%¤### # ==================== # ###¤%%/=-¨
¨-=/%%¤### / 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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