.,=/*£#¶## ##¶#£*/=,.
.,=/*****# #*****/=,.
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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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