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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. .¨~,-~;^&@
##¶#**^«,¨ ¨,«^**#¶##
#¤&£¤%;~:, ,#. ,:~;%¤£&¤#
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###¶@†=-.. 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. .,,-,:&@£@
@£§§£^\~:. .:~\^£§§£@
#&£=**†-,, ¨#. ,,-†**=£&#
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#¤;-,¨,.¨, 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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