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