#..#....## #..#.#..#.
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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. §#@,@@&#¤,
.#¨¨@&,,&& .¨£@..¨.§.
##¨#.£¨¤¨@ .£.§,..#§¨
¨#@@£@¤@## ¤&¤£..@.££
#,¨,.,.¨.¤ ¨¨,£¨£§@¨¤
#¨¨¨.¨,,@& ..@£#,,&&,