##@&§%\«.. ..«\%§&@##
@&%\\..... .....\\%&@
@@@&§%\«.. ..«\%§&@@@
#&§\...... ......\§&#
&%%«...... ......«%%&
&&&%«..... # «««««««««««««««««««« # .....«%&&&
&&§\««««.. \ 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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