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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... † ,,,---%££#
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##%*.^,,¨, ,¨,,^.*%##
###@£^;-,, 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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