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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. ..,¨¨-%*£#
##@#%†=~-, ,-~=†%#@##
##¶&$%:«^¨ .#, ¨^«:%$&¶##
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§§%=».,¨¨¨ 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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