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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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