##£**==~,, ,,~==**£##
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#££=,,,,,, ,,,,,,=££#
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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. . ,,-:†$¤@@#
££**~.,,.. »« . -~« ¨ ~, ,~ « ..,,.~**££
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#@@@£$:«:¨ . ¨ , = ¨:«:$£@@@#
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#@@¤£*†=,, ,#, ,,=†*£¤@@#
##%§:=,,,. .,,,=:§%##
###£%§^«,, AND, ,,«^§%£###
#&=::.¨,., ,.,¨.::=
##@¤%$;~,. NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. .,~;$%¤@##
#§%~»«,-^. NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. .^-,«»~%§#
#&%~~,^,¨. .¨,^,~~%
#@@¤@$*=:¨ ¨:=*$@¤@@#
##£¤¤*=-,¨ ¨,-=*¤¤£##
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