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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. ¨ ,,,»*§&&¶@
##¶&£*^»-, =» . ~«» ¨ ~, -» - ,-»^*£&¶##
@¶&%*:~:¨¨ : .- - ¨ ¨¨:~:*%&¶@
#¤£§/~,.,, , ¨ . * ,,.,~/§£¤#
§%^;»:¨.¨. .¨.¨:»;^%§
@%=-^¨.¨,¨ ¨#¨ ¨,¨.¨^-=%@
$=~,¨¨,,., ,.,,¨¨,~=$
%$†»,¨,¨,, and, ,,¨,¨,»†$%
¤$^\~~.... ....~~\^$¤
£&$*†=~,,¨ now the reach of the pool has widened. ¨,,~=†*$&£
@@£$=;~-¨. now its wolves see further. .¨-~;=$£@@
#@@&¤*==-, ,-==*¤&@@#
#@£$^†~,,, ,,,~†^$£@#
£&$%:«,.¨¨ ¨¨.,«:%$&£
#£*†=^¨... ...¨^=†*£#
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