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