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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. . §%--..¨,..
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.¨,»~»†§*§ AND, §*§†»~»,¨.
..~=£&@@## ##@@&£=~..
,,¨.,.,=$¤ NOW THE REACH OF THE POOL HAS WIDENED. ¤$=,.,.¨,,
.-»††$§#@# NOW ITS WOLVES SEE FURTHER. #@#§$††»-.
,.¨¨,«/=$@ @$=/«,¨¨.,
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