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