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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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