§§§§§**=^¨ ¨^=**§§§§§
#§§**^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^**§§#
§**=^¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨^=**§
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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. , .,»†*%£#@#
##@@%^^=^, -» . =«« , «. ,- = ,^=^^%@@##
¶£%^*-=,¨, ~ :- . ¨ ,¨,=-*^%£¶
£^§%=%/~^. . ¨ . * .^~/%=%§^£
#¶@@&§\~:¨ ¨:~\§&@@¶#
#¤%¤†».¨¨¨ ,#, ¨¨¨.»†¤%¤#
§@*:¨¨¨,,, ,,,¨¨¨:*@§
¶§@\~¨,.,. AND, .,.,¨~\@§¶
&$%:~~-,:. .:,-~~:%$&
##£§$*^--, NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ,--^*$§£##
##£§%$/~,¨ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ¨,~/$%§£##
&*;~^,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,^~;*&
@#¶#@%\»~¨ ¨~»\%@#¶#@
###&$†;~-, ,-~;†$##
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