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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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¨.==§$@###                                          ###@$§==.¨
.^:=&#¶@##                                          ##@¶#&=:^.