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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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