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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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####&†;-.. ..-;†&####