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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... \ .....-=%%£
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###£$†*=^. .^=*†$£###
@£†.:,-¨., 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. ¨,~=†@£@£¶
###§**=~^. .^~=**§###
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###£**^=~. 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. .,~†*§£¶@#
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##£#$$/-~. ¨#, .~-/$$#£##
#££&†~,¨,. .,¨,~†&££#
#@@¤$$=~,. as they stumble on the pool, the .,~=$$¤@@#
¤#£&§%†-,¨ 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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