¤%†††»»~,, ,,~»»†††%¤
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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. . ,-:,-§%###
##£&@=;»,¨ -» ¨ »=~ ¨ «, ,« « ¨,»;=@&£##
##@#&£\»~¨ , ~, - , ¨~»\£&#@##
@#¶@¤§*»~, , ¨ . $ ,~»*§¤@¶#@
###@£*^-:, ,:-^*£@###
###@%%:«-, ¨#¨ ,-«:%%@###
##@@£$/~:, ,:~/$£@@##
@@%;-:¨.,. AND, .,.¨:-;%@@
###&&§†~-. .-~†§&&###
###@%*=«.¨ NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ¨.«=*%@###
#@&=:¨,¨., NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ,.¨,¨:=&@#
@#£#%^^»,¨ ¨,»^^%#£#@
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