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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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#@¶¤&**»,¨ ¨,»**&¤¶@#