####§**~~, ,~~**§####
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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#### .¨¨¨.,~$%#
##£¤*%:=^, #####THE#FEELING#OF#THIS%KNOWLEDGE;» ,^=:%*¤£##
###£§§*=,. «~BEING ~ STOLEN =« FROM ~~~ THEM. ¨ .,=*§§£###
££*$~«»,¨. ~~ . »»» . =¨ .~ « .¨,»«~$*££
£££=\~¨,¨¨ . ^: . , ¨¨,¨~\=£££
##@£&%\»,¨ , ¨ . § ¨,»\%&£@##
##@£%§^~:. .:~^§%£@##
##†*;:,¨,. .#, .,¨,:;*†##
###@¤¤*«., ,.«*¤¤@###
@##£&^;=^¨ AND, ¨^=;^&£##@
@§£%=«»:~¨ ¨~:»«=%£§@
##¶¤%§;-:. NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. .:-;§%¤¶##
##@@§$†=-. NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. .-=†$§@@##
#¶¤/»-^,~. .~,^-»/¤¶#
#@&%£*==.. ..==*£%&@#
¤%/».,¨¨,¨ ¨,¨¨,.»/%¤
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