##@£#***«, ,«***#£@##
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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 ^~=^*&¶@##
##@§$%/=^¨ UNDISTURBED BY WIND. ¨^=/%$§@##
###£&¤*;-. .-;*¤&£###
#@¶¤£=\=,. .#, .,=\=£¤¶@#
##@£#%*=~~ ~~=*%#£@##
#@#@%*\».¨ 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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