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....,«=%&£ £&%=«,....
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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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