....-*%£££                                          £££%*-....
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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.  @=^^«.¨.¨,
,-~**$¤###       now its wolves see further.        ###¤$**~-,
.¨..=:;§##                                          ##§;:=..¨.
,¨..,«==@#                                          #@==«,..¨,
.,~†§£####                                          ####£§†~,.
..»/*£¤£##                                          ##£¤£*/»..
.~«††@@¶@#                                          #@¶@@††«~.