#@@&%%^=:, ,:=^%%&@@#
@@@&%%^=:, ,:=^%%&@@@
#@@&%%^=:, ,:=^%%&@@#
@@@&%%^=:, ,:=^%%&@@@
&%%^==::,, ,,::==^%%&
@&%%%=:,,, # ==================== # ,,,:=%%%&@
@@@&%%^=:, ^ 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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