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