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