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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, .,«/%$§@##
####£††-,, ,,-††£####
@*-~^,,,.¨ now the reach of the pool has widened. ¨.,,,^~-*@
###£*=;=,. now its wolves see further. .,=;=*£###
£¤$=^¨.¨,. .,¨.¨^=$¤£
#@##***=,. .,=***##@#
@@†$=«~¨., ,.¨~«=$†@@
#@@&$=:«~, ,~«:=$&@@#
##¤§$$\~:¨ ¨:~\$$§¤##