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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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¶@&:=..¨.. ..¨..=:&@¶
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