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