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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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