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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. ,..«\*&###
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####$=-.,¨ THE POOL LIES IN A SMALL METEORITE ¨,.-=$####
##@#¤*^=,, IMPACT CRATER, SIXTY METERS ACROSS. ,,=^*¤#@##
#@¶£^:-~.. IT'S SURFACE IS PITCH BLACK AND EVEN ..~-:^£¶@#
###@&$=».. THOUGH IT'S NOT WELL PROTECTED, IT IS ..»=$&@###
#@#§%\~:¨. UNDISTURBED BY WIND. .¨:~\%§#@#
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#@££*†»,¨¨ ¨#¨ ¨¨,»†*££@#
###@¤§*-^, ,^-*§¤@###
##@¤%;«~¨, 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* ,.,-;§#¶##
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###£%*»~¨. #£OF§§EXACTLY§¶HOW¤THEY&HAD&TRAVELED,§# .¨~»*%£###
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##¶&%*=,.¨ #£WHERE#THEY#CAME,####@#@AND@THEN##@# ¨.,=*%&¶##
###@@†/-~. #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS*KNOWLEDGE/« .~-/†@@###
#@¶@%†~~¨¨ ~»BEING = STOLEN ~- FROM »~~ THEM. ¨ ¨¨~~†%@¶@#
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##¶¤%/»-,, ,,-»/%¤¶##
###@£^;=^¨ NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ¨^=;^£@###
####=†-~,, NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ,,~-†=####
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