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&^^:-¨¨¨¨¨ : IN A STALE TIMELINE, : ¨¨¨¨¨-:^^&
##¶&$^:~-¨ : BRANCHED WAY BACK : ¨-~:^$&¶##
¶¶¶&$^:~-¨ : WHEN KIRUGU VARGIR : ¨-~:^$&¶¶¶
##¶&$^:~-¨ : WAS ALMOST BARREN, : ¨-~:^$&¶##
##¶&$^:~-¨ COMPRISED MOSTLY OF ROCK AND ARID SOIL, ¨-~:^$&¶##
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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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#£&#¤*/=^¨ IMPACT CRATER, SIXTY METERS ACROSS. ¨^=/*¤#&£#
##@@§%$«.¨ IT'S SURFACE IS PITCH BLACK AND EVEN ¨.«$%§@@##
##@#¤£%\»¨ THOUGH IT'S NOT WELL PROTECTED, IT IS ¨»\%£¤#@##
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#£**=^,,.. 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. ¨,.,,~††^§
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###¤@=;«,, HE TRIES TO RESIST AT FIRST, BUT IS TOO ,,«;=@¤###
@#&#$^;-,, CLOSE, AND HE QUICKLY GIVES UP AS THE ,,-;^$#&#@
¶¶¶¤%^/~.¨ LIQUID FLOWS INTO HIS MIND. THE OTHERS, ¨.~/^%¤¶¶¶
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#@#££§;=^, #¤OF£THE@WAY#HOME#£TO£THE@TIME£FROM¶¶ ,^=;§££#@#
#*\^\~^:¨¨ #@WHERE#THEY#CAME,@##@##@AND#THEN#@## ¨¨:^~\^\*#
##@&$=/-^. #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS$KNOWLEDGE:« .^-/=$&@##
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##@§@*:-:, NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ,:-:*@§@##
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