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