@@*-...... ......-*@@
@@@@%*;-^. .^-;*%@@@@
#@@@%*;-^. .^-;*%@@@#
###@%*;-^. .^-;*%@###
#@@%**;-^. .^-;**%@@#
#@%*;---^. # -------------------- # .^---;*%@#
###@%*;-^. ; 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. ,^»\%@&#@#
#£$*««~~.. ..~~««*$£#
###@£$$/»^ ^»/$$£@###
##@§¤§*-^¨ ¨^-*§¤§@##
#§%:«...., ,....«:%§#
#@@§$%\»,¨ ¨,»\%$§@@#