£*\-:¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:-\*£
&£*\-:¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:-\*£&
¶&£*\-:¨¨¨ ¨¨¨:-\*£&¶
#¶&£*\-:¨¨ ¨¨:-\*£&¶#
##¶&£*\-:¨ ¨:-\*£&¶##
###¶&£*\-: # -------------------- # :-\*£&¶###
##¶&£*\-:¨ \ 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. ,,.,,.,...
,¨¨.,,,¨., ,.¨,,,.¨¨,
.¨.¨,¨.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.¨,¨.¨.
¨..,,¨.... ....¨,,..¨
¨,,,,,.¨,, ,,¨.,,,,,¨
,,....,,,¨ ¨,,,....,,