&&$$\»-... ...-»\$$&&
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&$%\»-.... ....-»\%$&
##@&$%\»-. .-»\%$&@##
&%\-...... ......-\%&
#@#&$%\»-. # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # .-»\%$&#@#
#@#&$%\»-. \ THE WOLF POOL EXISTS \ .-»\%$&#@#
&&$\\-.... \ IN A STALE TIMELINE, \ ....-\\$&&
#$%%\-.... \ BRANCHED WAY BACK \ ....-\%%$#
##@&$%\»-. \ WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR \ .-»\%$&@##
&%%\»--... \ WAS ALMOST BARREN, \ ...--»\%%&
&&%%%».... COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ....»%%%&&
&%»....... AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW, .......»%&
#@#&$%\»-. \ AT ALL... \ .-»\%$&#@#
@&$%%».... # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ....»%%$&@
£#£#&*\~,. .,~\*&#£#£
¶£=*§:^~.. MISPLACED EXPLORERS TRAVERSE THE ..~^:§*=£¶
#@@¤£%/-~, LANDSCAPE, SEARCHING FOR A WAY BACK, ,~-/%£¤@@#
¤*£§*§†~.¨ FINDING INSTEAD ONLY STONE AND DIRT AND ¨.~†§*§£*¤
#@§$-«~-,¨ ROOTS THAT ARE AS HARD AS THE GROUND. ¨,-~«-$§@#
###¤£%=»~, IT'S GETTING DARK, THEY ARE THIRSTY, ,~»=%£¤###
@@@§§*^~., AND ABOUT TO FIND THE WOLF POOL. ,.~^*§§@@@
##¶#£*\-., ,.-\*£#¶##
¤@$/;=«,¨, .#, ,¨,«=;/$@¤
##¶£%**=-¨ ¨-=**%£¶##
##@#&&†«,, THE POOL LIES IN A SMALL METEORITE ,,«†&&#@##
#@#§@%=~:¨ IMPACT CRATER, SIXTY METERS ACROSS. ¨:~=%@§#@#
##&^$~.¨,, IT'S SURFACE IS PITCH BLACK AND EVEN ,,¨.~$^&##
##£¤£^/~-¨ THOUGH IT'S NOT WELL PROTECTED, IT IS ¨-~/^£¤£##
#@#&%%\»:, UNDISTURBED BY WIND. ,:»\%%&#@#
####§%:~,¨ ¨,~:%§####
##@@%^;~~, ¨#. ,~~;^%@@##
##@#§@$/«: :«/$@§#@##
@*;†~.¨.¨¨ AS THEY STUMBLE ON THE POOL, THE ¨¨.¨.~†;*@
####¤$†~.¨ EXPLORERS FIRST BELIEVE IT TO BE WATER, ¨.~†$¤####
#@£§$$:«-. 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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