.....,~^%¤ ¤%^~,.....
......,~^% %^~,......
.......,~^ ^~,.......
......,~^% %^~,......
.....,~^%¤ ¤%^~,.....
....,~^%¤¶ # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ¶¤%^~,....
...,~^%¤¶@ ^ 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. ####£¤^»~.
,,:=:$¤@@# now its wolves see further. #@@¤$:=:,,
,..,=^£¤@# #@¤£^=,..,
.,,..~*$&# #&$*~..,,.
¨.¨,¨:-^§¤ ¤§^-:¨,¨.¨
.,,,,¨,-;& &;-,¨,,,,.
,¨.,¨¨¨--* *--¨¨¨,.¨,