@@@#£$/»^, ,^»/$£#@@@
##@#£$/»^, ,^»/$£#@##
@@£$//^,,, ,,,^//$£@@
@###£$/»^, ,^»/$£###@
#££/^,,,,, ,,,,,^/££#
##@@£$/»^, # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ,^»/$£@@##
#£/»^^,,,, / 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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