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