&@*\»,,,,, ,,,,,»\*@&
#&@*\»,,,, ,,,,»\*@&#
##&@*\»,,, ,,,»\*@&##
###&@*\»,, ,,»\*@&###
####&@*\», ,»\*@&####
###&@*\»,, # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ,,»\*@&###
##&@*\»,,, \ 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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