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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. ,¨¨,-^%†§@
##£&§%^--, ,--^%§&£##
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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 ,~=:^%#£##
¶%*†$==~,¨ CLOSER TO HELP THEIR,FRIEND. ¨,~==$†*%¶
##@§¤*/-,¨ ¨ ~ ~ - . ¨,-/*¤§@##
##@¤£%\~,¨ 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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#@@£¤*^«~¨ NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ¨~«^*¤£@@#
##@@£=†-,. NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. .,-†=£@@##
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