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##¶£$**»-, * THE WOLF POOL EXISTS * ,-»**$£¶##
##¶£$**»-, * IN A STALE TIMELINE, * ,-»**$£¶##
#¶¶£$**»-, * BRANCHED WAY BACK * ,-»**$£¶¶#
£$*»--,,,, * WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR * ,,,,--»*$£
¶£$*»,,,,, * WAS ALMOST BARREN, * ,,,,,»*$£¶
##¶£$**»-, COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ,-»**$£¶##
##¶£$**»-, AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW, ,-»**$£¶##
££££$**»-, * AT ALL... * ,-»**$££££
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##£§*%;~~. 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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#@#£¤%/=-, .#. ,-=/%¤£#@#
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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~:.» .¨¨,.¨«§£#
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£#££/=,.,, ;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@£ ,,¨-=%%¤££
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&%*»~~,.¨. NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. .¨.,~~»*%&
##£§=.¨,.. NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ..,¨.=§£##
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