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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. ,,,,¨¨,.¨¨
.,,,,.,¨¨. .¨¨,.,,,,.
.¨,,..¨.,¨ ¨,.¨..,,¨.
,,,¨¨.,.,, ,,.,.¨¨,,,
.¨¨¨,¨¨¨,. .,¨¨¨,¨¨¨.
»~,,¨¨¨..¨ ¨..¨¨¨,,~»