¨¨.«^%§££# #££§%^«.¨¨
¨¨¨.«^%§££ ££§%^«.¨¨¨
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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@@ ¤$*\«^,¨¨,
,¨,,~†*%¤¶ #¶where#they#came,##@@###and#then#@@# ¶¤%*†~,,¨,
¨,:«^†§@¶# #####the#feeling#of#this%knowledge;» #¶@§†^«:,¨
.^»;=¤#@## ~=being ~ stolen ~= from «~» them. ¨ ##@#¤=;»^.
¨,-«\*&§¶# ~~ , ~»~ ¨ -, ^~ « #¶§&*\«-,¨
..¨~~\*££@ ~ ,: . ¨ @££*\~~¨..
.¨..-~^*£# , ¨ ¨ ^ #£*^~-..¨.
.¨..~:†£#£ £#£†:~..¨.
¨.:-==¤### ,#¨ ###¤==-:.¨
.,«/%&@### ###@&%/«,.
¨.~~=^*@£# and, #£@*^=~~.¨
,,,:~==*§¶ ¶§*==~:,,,
,,¨,-~\%&¤ now the reach of the pool has widened. ¤&%\~-,¨,,
..,,-\§%@¶ now its wolves see further. ¶@%§\-,,..
,,~~†§£&@# #@&£§†~~,,
.,«;*¤¤@## ##@¤¤*;«,.
¨¨^~\$£§#@ @#§£$\~^¨¨
.,¨~-/=& #&&=/-~¨,.
,,,.,~†*$# #$*†~,.,,,