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