¤$:----,,, ,,,----:$¤
##£¤$%:-^, ,^-:%$¤£##
##£¤$%:-^, ,^-:%$¤£##
##£¤$%:-^, ,^-:%$¤£##
##£¤$%:-^, ,^-:%$¤£##
££¤$:^,,,, # -------------------- # ,,,,^:$¤££
##£¤$%:-^, : the wolf pool exists : ,^-:%$¤£##
£¤$$$%:-^, : in a stale timeline, : ,^-:%$$$¤£
##£¤$%:-^, : branched way back : ,^-:%$¤£##
¤$%:^^^,,, : when kirugu vargir : ,,,^^^:%$¤
##£¤$%:-^, : was almost barren, : ,^-:%$¤£##
¤%:^,,,,,, 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. ¨..,~~=\%¤
#§;^:~-,.. ..,-~:^;§#
£$**.,¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨,.**$£
#@@¤%%†~:. .:~†%%¤@@#
#@#&$%^»-. .-»^%$&#@#
###£$=\»^. .^»\=$£###