#¤@§*-.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.-*§@¤#
¤@§*-.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.-*§@¤
@§*-.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.-*§@
§*-.¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨.-*§
*-.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.-*
-.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ # -------------------- # ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.-
*-.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ * 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. .¨,«=†%#@@
@¤£†^».¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.»^†£¤@
&@§/~....¨ ¨....~/§@&
$§*~,.¨.¨. .¨.¨.,~*§$
%\-~.¨,,¨¨ ¨¨,,¨.~-\%
;~:¨.,¨¨.. ..¨¨,.¨:~;