#@@£¤^:~,, ,,~:^¤£@@#
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#@@£¤^:~,, ,,~:^¤£@@#
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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. ,.«=$¤£###
##@£%*»,,. now its wolves see further. .,,»*%£@##
##¶¤$%=«~. .~«=%$¤¶##
@@¤$§;~.,, ,,.~;§$¤@@
##@£&†\»:. .:»\†&£@##
@#£%*;-,.¨ ¨.,-;*%£#@
#@@#&*=~^¨ ¨^~=*@@#