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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. ¨,~**@¤###
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£@%*»,:¨¨¨ ,#, ¨¨¨:,»*%@£
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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 .~»\†§¤@@#
#@£&$=:=:. UNDISTURBED BY WIND. .:=:=$&£@#
##¶¤$=†=,. .,=†=$¤¶##
§#§¤^=^,., ¨#¨ ,.,^=^¤§#§
#$%§~,¨.¨¨ ¨¨.¨,~§%$#
@££*=~:.-, 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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