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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$KNOWLEDGE== ##§»==,..¨
...-^/^#¤§ ~=BEING « STOLEN =~ FROM ~~« THEM. , §¤#^/^-...
.-»/*££¶## -~ , ~«~ ¨ ~¨ -~ - ##¶££*/»-.
¨.¨¨¨-*¤#@ , ,, , , @#¤*-¨¨¨.¨
¨,...»%%¤§ ¨ , , * §¤%%»...,¨
,:-;^¤@¶## ##¶@¤^;-:,
¨.~†^¤¤£@# .#, #@£¤¤^†~.¨
¨.,,^^^=%£ £%=^^^,,.¨
.,.,,-†%£# AND, #£%†-,,.,.
¨-»*=££¶#@ @#¶££=*»-¨
¨,~=*&#@## NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ##@#&*=~,¨
,..,,,;%§@ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. @§%;,,,..,
¨¨,.,.,=@@ @@=,.,.,¨¨
¨¨¨.¨»*$£@ @£$*»¨.¨¨¨
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