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