¤¤*==,,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,,==*¤¤
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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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