@#@£%\-,,, ,,,-\%£@#@
###@£%\--, ,--\%£@###
#@#@£%\--, ,--\%£@#@#
@@%\-,,,,, ,,,,,-\%@@
##@#@£\--, ,--\£@#@##
@##@£%\--, # -------------------- # ,--\%£@##@
@£\-,,,,,, \ 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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