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