&&*=~~~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~~~=*&&
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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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#@£¤$%\«,. .,«\%$¤£@#
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