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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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