,,»††@@### ###@@††»,,
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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. ¨ #$//-¨,,,.
.,~=%%&#£¶ ~- ¨ =-~ . «, ,~ « ¶£#&%%=~,.
.,¨,,»%££# ~ .. - , #££%»,,¨,.
.:»:=¤#### ¨ , , % ####¤=:»:.
¨~-;†%£@@@ @@@£%†;-~¨
,,..,,-~*§ ¨#. §*~-,,..,,
,-~\%¤#### ####¤%\~-,
.^»*†&£@@# and, #@@£&†*»^.
,.~/†$#¶#@ @#¶#$†/~.,
,,»/*¤#¶## now the reach of the pool has widened. ##¶#¤*/»,,
.¨,,.:*%## now its wolves see further. ##%*:.,,¨.
¨^~\%£¤@## ##@¤£%\~^¨
,~«;*§£§£@ @£§£§*;«~,
..¨¨~,;$#@ @#$;,~¨¨..
.¨,.:«†@¤@ @¤@†«:.,¨.
¨.-*%*@¶## ##¶@*%*-.¨