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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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