##@¤%=*~,, ,,~*=%¤@##
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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. .,~/*&£££#
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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 .--/†£@###
@#£§*$;=~, UNDISTURBED BY WIND. ,~=;$*§£#@
@$%†/:,,., ,.,,:/†%$@
@%££\/«~:. ¨#¨ .:~«/\££%@
&@%§†:/=,¨ ¨,=/:†§%@&
###§$%\»:¨ AS THEY STUMBLE ON THE POOL, THE ¨:»\%$§###
##@#¤*=«~, 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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