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.,~=$$£¶@# = IN A STALE TIMELINE, = #@¶£$$=~,.
...,~$$$$£ = BRANCHED WAY BACK = £$$$$~,...
.,~=$$£¶@# = WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR = #@¶£$$=~,.
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.,~=$$£¶@# 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. ##££¤††»..
¨.¨,..,^=§ §=^,..,¨.¨
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,,~\*¤§@## 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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¨-=;†*£§## †SUDDEN=THOUGHTS†OF~»:CLIMBING/$† ##§£*†;=-¨
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^«†^*¤@### NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ###@¤*^†«^
,,.¨,=;/*@ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. @*/;=,¨.,,
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