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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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