.^~†%@@£## ##£@@%†~^.
.^~†%@@@££ ££@@@%†~^.
.^~†%@@£## ##£@@%†~^.
.^~†%@@£## ##£@@%†~^.
.^~†%@@£## ##£@@%†~^.
......~†@£ # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # £@†~......
...^^††%@# † 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,§# #@@&$††~.,
,~-\†==¤§¤ #¤OF£THE£WAY#HOME£#TO¶THE£TIME@FROM££ ¤§¤==†\-~,
,:«:§%¤#@# ##WHERE#THEY@CAME,###@@@#AND#THEN#### #@#¤%§:«:,
...-~~/&@£ #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS%KNOWLEDGE:» £@&/~~-...
¨:~*%£¤£## ==BEING ~ STOLEN ~- FROM ~-« THEM. . ##£¤£%*~:¨
.,.,~*§£@# ~» ¨ «-~ ¨ ~¨ .» = #@£§*~,.,.
,~~:%%%*@# - ~- ~ . #@*%%%:~~,
¨,»^*$@### ¨ . . * ###@$*^»,¨
¨,.¨-†%&@¶ ¶@&%†-¨.,¨
.~-\*¤#¶@# ,#. #@¶#¤*\-~.
¨¨,,.»\:§# #§:\».,,¨¨
.,.,¨¨,-*# AND, #*-,¨¨,.,.
,¨,..~^§$# #$§^~..,¨,
.:=/=$@¶## NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ##¶@$=/=:.
,,..¨~†=@# NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. #@=†~¨..,,
,:-=$£#@## ##@#£$=-:,
,¨,¨~\^%## ##%^\~¨,¨,
,,=;§§£@## ##@£§§;=,,
.:~;;^**@@ @@**^;;~:.
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