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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. ¨.¨.¨~~;†£
†\~.¨..¨,, ,,¨..¨.~\†
:«.,¨¨..,, ,,..¨¨,.«:
-,..¨.¨¨.. ..¨¨.¨..,-
,.¨,,¨¨,,. .,,¨¨,,¨.,
..¨.,¨¨,¨. .¨,¨¨,.¨..