¨.-;%££££#                                          #££££%;-.¨
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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.        ##@@%§^--.
¨,=†*£#@##                                          ##@#£*†=,¨
¨.«†=†$¤@£                                          £@¤$†=†«.¨
,.«†*&&£##                                          ##£&&*†«.,
,:=/†£¤@##                                          ##@¤£†/=:,
.,~/$£§£##                                          ##£§£$/~,.