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