§&%%%*:,,, ,,,:*%%%&§
@@@§&%*~:, ,:~*%&§@@@
@@§%**~:,, ,,:~**%§@@
§%%*~:,,,, ,,,,:~*%%§
#@@§&%*~:, ,:~*%&§@@#
##@§&%*~:, # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ,:~*%&§@##
@@&%%~,,,, * 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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