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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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