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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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