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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... ; #@@§£^;~,.
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..¨.--:$&£ MISPLACED EXPLORERS TRAVERSE THE £&$:--.¨..
.,,,¨.-\=§ 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. ==,,.,¨.¨¨
...¨,¨,==† †==,¨,¨...
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,¨.^«\§@@@ 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 ##&£*†~,¨,
,.,:-*$&&@ UNDISTURBED BY WIND. @&&$*-:,.,
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,,.¨.,«\§% ,#¨ %§\«,.¨.,,
¨,.,¨.,=:% %:=,.¨,.,¨
¨.¨,,,.,-; 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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