##@@@&§*,, ,,*§&@@@##
#@@@&§*,,, ,,,*§&@@@#
@@@&§*,,,, ,,,,*§&@@@
@@&§*,,,,, ,,,,,*§&@@
@&§*,,,,,, ,,,,,,*§&@
&§*,,,,,,, # ==================== # ,,,,,,,*§&
@&§*,,,,,, * 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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