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