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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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