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