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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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