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