,,,,,»^§¤¤ ¤¤§^»,,,,,
,~»^^^§§&# #&§§^^^»~,
,~»^§&¤### ###¤&§^»~,
,~»^§&¤### ###¤&§^»~,
,~»^§&&&## ##&&&§^»~,
,~»^§&&&¤# # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # #¤&&&§^»~,
,,,,~~~^&# ^ 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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