--........ ........--
:--....... .......--:
^:--...... ......--:^
§^:--..... .....--:^§
#§^:--.... ....--:^§#
##§^:--... # -------------------- # ...--:^§##
###§^:--.. : 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$£awareness# ¨.¨.^~:%*#
£*^=,.,.¨, #¤of*§exactly§@how#they¤had¤traveled,£# ,¨.,.,=^*£
^^~,....,¨ #§of£the£way¶home£#to#the@time£from#¶ ¨,....,~^^
*-^,,,,.,, #@where#they#came,@#@####and#then##@@ ,,.,,,,^-*
~,.,¨¨,.¨¨ #####the#feeling#of#this%knowledge/» ¨¨.,¨¨,.,~
^,,¨,..¨¨. ««being = stolen ~» from ««- them. , .¨¨..,¨,,^
,¨.,,.¨¨.. ~« ¨ =-~ . -. ,= ~ ..¨¨.,,.¨,
¨,,¨,,¨¨,. ~ ^: : , .,¨¨,,¨,,¨
,.¨¨¨¨¨,,, . ¨ , § ,,,¨¨¨¨¨.,
,¨,,,.,,,, ,,,,.,,,¨,
¨,..¨,¨¨., .#. ,.¨¨,¨..,¨
^¨.¨¨.,¨¨, ,¨¨,.¨¨.¨^
«~¨.¨,,¨¨, and, ,¨¨,,¨.¨~«
;-,.,..... .....,.,-;
^;--¨,,,., now the reach of the pool has widened. ,.,,,¨--;^
§*\=.,¨.,, now its wolves see further. ,,.¨,.=\*§
#¤$†«,¨,.. ..,¨,«†$¤#
##$*\--,,¨ ¨,,--\*$##
##@£=*~,,. .,,~*=£@##
##@@$%/~:, ,:~/%$@@##
##@£^†-:¨, ,¨:-†^£@##