###¤%%†=,, ,,=†%%¤###
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###¤%%†=,, ,,=†%%¤###
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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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