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