#¤$/-~,,,, ,,,,~-/$¤#
##¤$/-~,,, ,,,~-/$¤##
###¤$/-~,, ,,~-/$¤###
####¤$/-~, ,~-/$¤####
###¤$/-~,, ,,~-/$¤###
##¤$/-~,,, # -------------------- # ,,,~-/$¤##
#¤$/-~,,,, / the wolf pool exists / ,,,,~-/$¤#
¤$/-~,,,,, / in a stale timeline, / ,,,,,~-/$¤
$/-~,,,,,, / branched way back / ,,,,,,~-/$
/-~,,,,,,, / 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. .,:»*¤####
@@§$*=-,¨¨ now its wolves see further. ¨¨,-=*$§@@
¶#£\-^,.., ,..,^-\£#¶
&§^~,,¨,,. .,,¨,,~^§&
§^»,..¨..¨ ¨..¨..,»^§
\=~¨.,¨,,¨ ¨,,¨,.¨~=\
»,,¨¨¨.¨.¨ ¨.¨.¨¨¨,,»