##**\»¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨»\**##
##£#**\»-¨ ¨-»\**#£##
###£#*\»-¨ ¨-»\*#£###
###***\»-¨ ¨-»\***###
£#****\»-¨ ¨-»\****#£
££#*\\»»-¨ # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ¨-»»\\*#££
#**\»--¨¨¨ \ 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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