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