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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, ,-~:££#@##
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#@#@£§*»:¨ 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, ,,.¨.-~=§#
@##§$^^~.. AND ABOUT TO FIND THE WOLF POOL. ..~^^$§##@
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#£^\,^,,.. ,#¨ ..,,^,\^£#
#@@£§=†«,, ,,«†=§£@@#
###¤£%=--. 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. ,,»//^%#¶#
#@¶¤&$=~:¨ ¨:~=$&¤¶@#
#§%†\»»-:¨ ,#. ¨:-»»\†%§#
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@&$%††«,,¨ AS THEY STUMBLE ON THE POOL, THE ¨,,«††%$&@
@#$%§;†~~¨ EXPLORERS FIRST BELIEVE IT TO BE WATER, ¨~~†;§%$#@
##@&$†*=-. WHICH IS SOMETHING THEY ALL DESIRE .-=*†$&@##
##@#£†\«,¨ 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. ,:~†¤@####
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££%^-^~.¨¨ AND,THEN¨THE.POOL.ANNOUNCES,ITSELF ¨¨.~^-^%££
#@££$*;«:. TO,THEM¨-,SUDDEN,:.THOUGHTS,OF¨ .:«;*$££@#
#@¶¤&^;»~, ,-«DARK=WOLVES=.CLIMBING.OUT^OF~^-~ ,~»;^&¤¶@#
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@£*;^,,¨¨. INTO§THE*POOL,=THEIR§THIRST^FLARING* .¨¨,,^;*£@
##@#£*/«~, ^*=BRIGHT%-$¤A&SUDDEN%$AWARENESS# ,~«/*£#@##
###@&^==-¨ #$OF*@EXACTLY£@HOW£THEY¤HAD@TRAVELED,%# ¨-==^&@###
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#¤@%*»:.¨. #@WHERE#THEY@CAME,#@#@##@AND@THEN@##@ .¨.:»*%@¤#
#¤†^^~=¨.¨ #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS%KNOWLEDGE/» ¨.¨=~^^†¤#
@@@#*^;«,. »=BEING = STOLEN =« FROM -~= THEM. , .,«;^*#@@@
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@£†%^=~,.¨ NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ¨.,~=^%†£@
@§§†*««,,¨ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ¨,,««*†§§@
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