##@*%\«-.. ..-«\%*@##
#@*%\«-... ...-«\%*@#
@*%\«-.... ....-«\%*@
#@*%\«-... ...-«\%*@#
##@*%\«-.. ..-«\%*@##
###@*%\«-. # «««««««««««««««««««« # .-«\%*@###
##@*%\«-.. \ 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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