@@$$%%:=., ,.=:%%$$@@
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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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##£@@%^=^, ,^=^%@@£##
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