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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, .-«*=&@###
#@$$:=».¨. AND ABOUT TO FIND THE WOLF POOL. .¨.»=:$$@#
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#¶&*^~¨,., ¨#. ,.,¨~^*&¶#
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&^*;»-¨..¨ 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 ...,--~%¤¶
##££¤$^=,. UNDISTURBED BY WIND. .,=^$¤££##
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###¤§$^»^¨ AS THEY STUMBLE ON THE POOL, THE ¨^»^$§¤###
#¤^.~,,¨.¨ 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. ¨.,.¨-\§@&
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£†~.,.¨¨¨¨ AND¨THEN.THE¨POOL,ANNOUNCES¨ITSELF ¨¨¨¨.,.~†£
£¤%\-,¨,,, TO.THEM.-¨SUDDEN,,,THOUGHTS¨OF¨ ,,,¨,-\%¤£
#@##§*/~.¨ ,,-DARK«WOLVES«.CLIMBING-OUT^OF,~-- ¨.~/*§##@#
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####£$/~,¨ \SUDDEN:THOUGHTS\OF«=:CLIMBING:%† ¨,~/$£####
#@#@¤$;~:¨ INTO*THE=POOL,%THEIR%THIRST^FLARING= ¨:~;$¤@#@#
@£=~»,.,.. ==%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:= ..,,¨-=;$#
@*§=†~--,. --BEING - STOLEN «- FROM -== THEM. , .,--~†=§*@
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##¶@*^*-.¨ ¨.-*^*@¶##
@@&$†::,¨¨ NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ¨¨,::†$&@@
&*/~:-,¨,¨ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ¨,¨,-:~/*&
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