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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. ,^-:%§§¶##
##£#$*==-, ,-==*$#£##
##@&¤=;»,. .,»;=¤&@##
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#@#§&§†--, ,--†§&§#@#
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