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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. ,¤¤,@£&¨¨#
@,§.,@@,&, .&¨@£¨¨¤,§
¨§¤§.¤.#¤£ £&§¤,¤¨¤&§
§¤¨¨&¤&@¨, #..¨£¤§£,,
¤.§.§¨,.§¨ .£,,#,.¨#,
&§¤£&#¨.&£ ,&£¨&£¨.@§