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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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##£#£†:«,, ,,«:†£#£##
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