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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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