@@§=-,,,,, ,,,,,-=§@@
##@#§†==-, ,-==†§#@##
#@@#§†==-, ,-==†§#@@#
@@@#§†==-, ,-==†§#@@@
@@##§†==-, ,-==†§##@@
@§§§§†==-, # ==================== # ,-==†§§§§@
@@§==-,,,, = 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. ,,~==*£*¶#
@#**$«-~^. NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. .^~-«$**#@
#£¶&%%†=-. .-=†%%&¶£#
@#£§£*^~., ,.~^*£§£#@
@@¶@*%†«-, ,-«†%*@¶@@
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