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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... : ,^=:%£@@##
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##£&%*=~., MISPLACED EXPLORERS TRAVERSE THE ,.~=*%&£##
#@$\-~..,, LANDSCAPE, SEARCHING FOR A WAY BACK, ,,..~-\$@#
@#@§$*^«:¨ FINDING INSTEAD ONLY STONE AND DIRT AND ¨:«^*$§@#@
@££@&†*-,. ROOTS THAT ARE AS HARD AS THE GROUND. .,-*†&@££@
##@¶¤§=«:. IT'S GETTING DARK, THEY ARE THIRSTY, .:«=§¤¶@##
#%*=%«~,,, AND ABOUT TO FIND THE WOLF POOL. ,,,~«%=*%#
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###&¤^†~,. THE POOL LIES IN A SMALL METEORITE .,~†^¤&###
##@£¤%†»:. IMPACT CRATER, SIXTY METERS ACROSS. .:»†%¤£@##
@#†;,.,¨.. IT'S SURFACE IS PITCH BLACK AND EVEN ..¨,.,;†#@
####§*:~:. THOUGH IT'S NOT WELL PROTECTED, IT IS .:~:*§####
#*%%%/».,, UNDISTURBED BY WIND. ,,.»/%%%*#
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&†:«»..,,. AS THEY STUMBLE ON THE POOL, THE .,,..»«:†&
§£*«~~.,¨. EXPLORERS FIRST BELIEVE IT TO BE WATER, .¨,.~~«*£§
@†»=~,,¨.. WHICH IS SOMETHING THEY ALL DESIRE ..¨,,~=»†@
##@££*^~^. GREATLY AT THIS POINT. THEY FAIL TO .^~^*££@##
&£¤/:,,¨¨¨ NOTICE THAT THE STARS DO NOT REFLECT ON ¨¨¨,,:/¤£&
##@#%*;~,, ITS SURFACE. ONE OF THEM CROUCHES TO ,,~;*%#@##
#@&&&**~^. DRINK, FORMS A CUP WITH HIS HANDS, .^~**&&&@#
##£@*†:«-¨ LOWERS THE CUP INTO THE POOL. ¨-«:†*@£##
##@#£†/-^, ,^-/†£#@##
#¤*£=~,,,, HE TRIES TO RESIST AT FIRST, BUT IS TOO ,,,,~=£*¤#
¶#&£*^-¨., CLOSE, AND HE QUICKLY GIVES UP AS THE ,.¨-^*£&#¶
@¤/,,..¨¨¨ LIQUID FLOWS INTO HIS MIND. THE OTHERS, ¨¨¨..,,/¤@
#£#§$†;~-, = NOT UNDERSTANDING THE-DANGER, MOVE ,-~;†$§#£#
##£&£*=«,, CLOSER TO HELP THEIR¨FRIEND. ,,«=*£&£##
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###&£$:«-, TO¨THEM.-.SUDDEN.,¨THOUGHTS¨OF¨ ,-«:$£&###
##@£$†;«-. .~~DARK~WOLVES«,CLIMBING^OUT:OF~:^- .-«;†$£@##
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##¶&*$^»-¨ INTO%THE*POOL,*THEIR$THIRST^FLARING* ¨-»^$*&¶##
#@#&£^†~:, †%^BRIGHT*-^%A*SUDDEN$@AWARENESS# ,:~†^£&#@#
##@£§^^~-, #%OF§¤EXACTLY¤#HOW&THEY¤HAD§TRAVELED,@# ,-~^^§£@##
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###£%^†~^¨ #¶WHERE@THEY@CAME,#######AND@THEN#### ¨^~†^%£###
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##@¤£^;»~, AND, ,~»;^£¤@##
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##£&@§;=~, NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ,~=;§@&£##
##£¤$%/=:¨ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ¨:=/%$¤£##
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