£*«....... .......«*£
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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. ¨,=;§@@###
@£&^%=»:.. ..:»=%^&£@
#@#@%$\~:, ,:~\$%@#@#
@#£#§**-,, ,,-**§#£#@
#@@¤%^;=~¨ ¨~=;^%¤@@#
£¶@@@†/=.. ..=/†@@@¶£