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