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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. £#§&£§§¤§&
§¤§¤@¤@£§# £@¤¤&@§££#
&§@#&§#& ¤&¤&§§§§§¤
¤@§@#& ¤&§&@@¤£@#
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