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