$%^~,..... .....,~^%$
¤$%^~,.... ....,~^%$¤
@¤$%^~,... ...,~^%$¤@
#@¤$%^~,.. ..,~^%$¤@#
##@¤$%^~,. .,~^%$¤@##
#@¤$%^~,.. # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ..,~^%$¤@#
@¤$%^~,... ^ the wolf pool exists ^ ...,~^%$¤@
¤$%^~,.... ^ in a stale timeline, ^ ....,~^%$¤
$%^~,..... ^ branched way back ^ .....,~^%$
%^~,...... ^ 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. ..,»**$§£@
#@@&@$*~~. .~~*$@&@@#
#££¤%\~^,, ,,^~\%¤££#
#¤%†/=,,¨. .¨,,=/†%¤#
§*%;-^.¨.. ..¨.^-;%*§
*$^~,¨.,,¨ ¨,,.¨,~^$*