#@@¤%*:=:, ,:=:*%¤@@#
@@¤%*:=:,, ,,:=:*%¤@@
@¤%*:=:,,, ,,,:=:*%¤@
@@¤%*:=:,, ,,:=:*%¤@@
#@@¤%*:=:, ,:=:*%¤@@#
@@¤%*:=:,, # ==================== # ,,:=:*%¤@@
@¤%*:=:,,, : 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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