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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. .,:~^§§#£#
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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 ¨:=†*%&£##
#@§$=^»^,¨ UNDISTURBED BY WIND. ¨,^»^=$§@#
@#$%:=,¨., ,.¨,=:%$#@
##§£=;»,.¨ ,#¨ ¨.,»;=£§##
#@@¤@^†~,. .,~†^@¤@@#
##@**^«,.¨ 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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