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