##¶#&=\=,¨ ¨,=\=&#¶##
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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... \ ¨¨,=\=&#¶#
¶#&=\=,¨¨¨ # ==================== # ¨¨¨,=\=&#¶
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@&¤§^«-.., 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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