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