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