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¤¤¤¤&=/-:, ,:-/=&¤¤¤¤
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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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