¶¤@\\\--.¨ ¨.--\\\@¤¶
#@¶¤@%\-.¨ ¨.-\%@¤¶@#
#@¶¤@%\-.¨ ¨.-\%@¤¶@#
@¶@@@%\-.¨ ¨.-\%@@@¶@
##@¤@%\-.¨ ¨.-\%@¤@##
##@¶¤%\-.¨ # -------------------- # ¨.-\%¤¶@##
#@¶¤@%\-.¨ \ 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. ¨ ,...=/†%#@
#&&$*»^..¨ ~~ , ==~ , =, ^« » ¨..^»*$&
##@§@*;«,, . ,, ^ ¨ ,,«;*@§@##
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#£%*::.,.¨ ¨.,.::*%£#
#¶§%/^=-.. ¨#¨ ..-=^/%§¶#
&$»»¨¨.,,, ,,,.¨¨»»$&
§&¤=;~¨.,¨ AND, ¨,.¨~;=¤&§
¶#&£$§\-^¨ ¨^-\§$£¶
¤@@%%~¨,,¨ NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ¨,,¨~%%@@¤
##@#@^†=~, NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ,~=†^@#@##
##@&&$*-,¨ ¨,-*$&&@##
###@§§†«~¨ ¨~«†§§@###
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