##£££==~,¨                                          ¨,~==£££##
##£££==~,¨                                          ¨,~==£££##
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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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