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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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