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££$§;~.¨¨¨ ; THE WOLF POOL EXISTS ; ¨¨¨.~;§$££
@££$§;~.¨¨ ; IN A STALE TIMELINE, ; ¨¨.~;§$££@
#@££$§;~.¨ ; BRANCHED WAY BACK ; ¨.~;§$££@#
@££$§;~.¨¨ ; WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR ; ¨¨.~;§$££@
££$§;~.¨¨¨ ; WAS ALMOST BARREN, ; ¨¨¨.~;§$££
£$§;~.¨¨¨¨ COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ¨¨¨¨.~;§$£
££$§;~.¨¨¨ AND PLANTS WERE ONLY STARTING TO GROW, ¨¨¨.~;§$££
@££$§;~.¨¨ ; AT ALL... ; ¨¨.~;§$££@
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¶#£%:=.,¨. 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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#£££%=«^¨, ¨#¨ ,¨^«=%£££#
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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 ¨,,«;=¤¤##
£&$†=~-,.¨ CLOSER TO HELP THEIR.FRIEND. ¨.,-~=†$&£
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#@@$*:~,.. TO¨THEM.-.SUDDEN.~,THOUGHTS,OF¨ ..,~:*$@@#
##@£¤*†«-¨ ,,«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. , .,..,~†%$¤
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##@#%*;»,. NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. .,»;*%#@##
###$=^»,¨¨ NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. ¨¨,»^=$###
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