*/«~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~«/*
/«~,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,~«/
«~,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,~«
~,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,~
«~,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,~«
/«~,,,,,,, # «««««««««««««««««««« # ,,,,,,,~«/
*/«~,,,,,, / 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. ¨..,,¨¨~~:
%:~^.,,... ...,,.^~:%
$=^«,.,.,. .,.,.,«^=$
@%*;»~,,,. .,,,~»;*%@
¶§@$/«.¨., ,.¨.«/$@§¶
###$*/~..¨ ¨..~/*$###