,,,:»***£# #£***»:,,,
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,:»*§*££## ##££*§*»:,
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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. ###@£%\-,.
¨.«/^£§### ###§£^/«.¨
.~~/:§££@£ £@££§:/~~.
¨,¨¨.-^*£# #£*^-.¨¨,¨
,^~^=*¤@## ##@¤*=^~^,
.--:†@¤@@# #@@¤@†:--.