¶&%%*»,,,, ,,,,»*%%&¶
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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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