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