#@£&£$;~:, ,:~;$£&£@#
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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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