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###@£$*»:, * IN A STALE TIMELINE, * ,:»*$£@###
@$$$»»»»:, * BRANCHED WAY BACK * ,:»»»»$$$@
@@@@£$*»:, * WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR * ,:»*$£@@@@
###@£$*»:, * WAS ALMOST BARREN, * ,:»*$£@###
###@£$*»:, COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ,:»*$£@###
###@£$*»:, AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW, ,:»*$£@###
#££*»:,,,, * 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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¤*;,¨..,,, 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†- .^»^^$@@@@
#£:,,..¨¨¨ »~BEING = STOLEN == FROM =»« THEM. , ¨¨¨..,,:£#
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£@@*»¨¨,.¨ NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ¨.,¨¨»*@@£
###§¤$==,¨ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ¨,==$¤§###
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