#¤%=*»:... ...:»*=%¤#
##¤%=*»:.. ..:»*=%¤##
###¤%=*»:. .:»*=%¤###
##¤%=*»:.. ..:»*=%¤##
#¤%=*»:... ...:»*=%¤#
¤%=*»:.... # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ....:»*=%¤
%=*»:..... * 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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