§§===::«,, ,,«::===§§
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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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