##@@$§;~-¨ ¨-~;§$@@##
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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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