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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. #§¤@£¤§£§¤
#¤£@@§#§&£ §&£#£§&@§§
§§£&&§@£## &@£#@§§&
@&§&§@¤¤@§ #¤&@¤¤££
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