##@¤%†=-~¨ ¨~-=†%¤@##
##@¤%†=-~¨ ¨~-=†%¤@##
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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£# ¨~=*%$¤£@#
£§=~¨,¨¨,, ##WHERE#THEY@CAME,##@#@@@AND@THEN##@# ,,¨¨,¨~=§£
##¶£§†;~,, #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS†KNOWLEDGE\» ,,~;†§£¶##
#@££/~:..¨ =»BEING - STOLEN ~« FROM ~-« THEM. , ¨..:~/££@#
¶£££==,... =~ , ==- , =. .« « ...,==£££¶
¶£^=,....¨ ^ ., ~ ¨ ¨....,=^£¶
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£@@£%†*~^¨ .#, ¨^~*†%£@@£
####¤§^=:¨ ¨:=^§¤####
##@£§%$*-. AND, .-*$%§£@##
#£^=.,¨¨.. ..¨¨,.=^£#
####@%/«:¨ NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ¨:«/%@####
£¤%†;»¨,,, NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ,,,¨»;†%¤£
###&%^;»,¨ ¨,»;^%&###
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