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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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