##@&£**«~. .~«**£&@##
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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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