¶$*~~,,,,, ,,,,,~~*$¶
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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=-$$a@sudden§$awareness# .^~^=%£@##
##@@£$†~,. #£of¤@exactly£@how£they#had¤traveled,$# .,~†$£@@##
#¶&¤%=*~~. #&of&the#way£home#@to¶the£time#from£# .~~*=%¤&¶#
@&&¤*/*~.. ##where#they#came,##@####and@then@### ..~*/*¤&&@
####%**»,, #####the#feeling#of#this$knowledge:« ,,»**%####
##@¤%^;=.¨ ~=being = stolen »» from ~~~ them. . ¨.=;^%¤@##
#£#§*^^~.. =~ ¨ ~~« ¨ «. .« = ..~^^*§#£#
#@£¤$=*~:¨ , -: - , ¨:~*=$¤£@#
###@$*/~^, ¨ . . % ,^~/*$@###
#@£@**:~-, ,-~:**@£@#
####¤†:=,¨ ¨#. ¨,=:†¤####
¤&*=.¨.,,¨ ¨,,.¨.=*&¤
###¤%†^~,¨ and, ¨,~^†%¤###
###@£*†=:. .:=†*£@###
#@@@$*;«:¨ now the reach of the pool has widened. ¨:«;*$@@@#
####%§:»~¨ now its wolves see further. ¨~»:§%####
&=/~-.¨,¨. .¨,¨.-~/=&
¶#§%%~»¨,, ,,¨»~%%§#¶
##@§$$^~.. ..~^$$§@##
##@¤¤§*»,, ,,»*§¤¤@##
##@§*^;~-, ,-~;^*§@##