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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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