###§$=/»-. .-»/=$§###
##§$=/»-.. ..-»/=$§##
#§$=/»-... ...-»/=$§#
##§$=/»-.. ..-»/=$§##
###§$=/»-. .-»/=$§###
##§$=/»-.. # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ..-»/=$§##
#§$=/»-... / THE WOLF POOL EXISTS / ...-»/=$§#
##§$=/»-.. / IN A STALE TIMELINE, / ..-»/=$§##
###§$=/»-. / BRANCHED WAY BACK / .-»/=$§###
##§$=/»-.. / WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR / ..-»/=$§##
#§$=/»-... / WAS ALMOST BARREN, / ...-»/=$§#
##§$=/»-.. COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ..-»/=$§##
###§$=/»-. AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW, .-»/=$§###
##§$=/»-.. / AT ALL... / ..-»/=$§##
#§$=/»-... # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ...-»/=$§#
##§&*^-:¨. .¨:-^*&§##
###@£%/~^. 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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