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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. ¨,,,,,,«*£
;~~,¨.¨.¨¨ ¨¨.¨.¨,~~;
«^..,¨.¨., ,.¨.¨,..^«
†~~,..¨.,¨ ¨,.¨..,~~†
£^-:¨¨¨,¨, ,¨,¨¨¨:-^£
§$;~,.¨¨,, ,,¨¨.,~;$§