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