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