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