/-........ ........-/
-......... .........-
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... # -------------------- # ..........
.......... / 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. .¨¨-~:=£&#
@$%^~.,,,. now its wolves see further. .,,,.~^%$@
%*^»~¨.¨¨. .¨¨.¨~»^*%
*==,¨¨..¨. .¨..¨¨,==*
/»,,....,. .,....,,»/
~,,.¨,¨,¨. .¨,¨,¨.,,~
,..¨¨¨,¨,, ,,¨,¨¨¨..,