.......... ..........
,......... .........,
-,........ ........,-
\-,....... .......,-\
*\-,...... ......,-\*
@*\-,..... # -------------------- # .....,-\*@
@@*\-,.... \ 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. .,¨,.,.,..
,¨¨,,,.¨,¨ ¨,¨.,,,¨¨,
.,,,,.¨,¨, ,¨,¨.,,,,.
,¨.¨.¨.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.¨.¨.¨,
~,.¨¨¨..¨¨ ¨¨..¨¨¨.,~
«,...,,.,. .,.,,...,«