#¶#%*/~~,, ,,~~/*%#¶#
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#%*/~~,,,, ,,,,~~/*%#
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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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