##@&£§/=,, ,,=/§£&@##
@@@&£§/=,, ,,=/§£&@@@
##@&£§/=,, ,,=/§£&@##
@@&&£§/=,, ,,=/§£&&@@
@£/,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,/£@
@@£££§/=,, # ==================== # ,,=/§£££@@
##@&£§/=,, / 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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