#&£%;»-,,, ,,,-»;%£&#
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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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