@¶%%:»-,,, ,,,-»:%%¶@
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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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