#@¤*;~.... ....~;*¤@#
##@¤*;~... ...~;*¤@##
###@¤*;~.. ..~;*¤@###
##@¤*;~... ...~;*¤@##
#@¤*;~.... ....~;*¤@#
@¤*;~..... # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # .....~;*¤@
¤*;~...... ; 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. ¨,¨,.,,¨^-
-¨....¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨....¨-
,¨.¨.¨,¨¨, ,¨¨,¨.¨.¨,
.,¨,,.¨,,, ,,,¨.,,¨,.
.,,,.¨¨.¨. .¨.¨¨.,,,.
:,¨,...,., ,.,...,¨,: