###¤%^=~,¨ ¨,~=^%¤###
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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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