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