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