¤¤$$*;~~-, ,-~~;*$$¤¤
¤$$$$*;~-, ,-~;*$$$$¤
##@¤$*;~-, ,-~;*$¤@##
##@¤$*;~-, ,-~;*$¤@##
¤**;--,,,, ,,,,--;**¤
@$**;;;~-, # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ,-~;;;**$@
@$*~~,,,,, ; the wolf pool exists ; ,,,,,~~*$@
#¤$*~~--,, ; in a stale timeline, ; ,,--~~*$¤#
##@¤$*;~-, ; branched way back ; ,-~;*$¤@##
###@¤$*;-, ; when kirugu vargir ; ,-;*$¤@###
@¤¤$**;~-, ; was almost barren, ; ,-~;**$¤¤@
##@¤$*;~-, comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, ,-~;*$¤@##
##@¤$*;~-, and plants were only starting to grow, ,-~;*$¤@##
##@¤$*;~-, ; at all... ; ,-~;*$¤@##
¤*;--,,,,, # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ,,,,,--;*¤
¶&&§/.,.,. .,.,./§&&¶
##@£@%†«,¨ 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. ,.=†^%¤@##
##£¤$*/=.. now its wolves see further. ..=/*$¤£##
¤§:=:::-.¨ ¨.-:::=:§¤
@#&=^%†~.¨ ¨.~†%^=&#@
@@£\*~..,¨ ¨,..~*\£@@
@¤*^*\:«.¨ ¨.«:\*^*¤@
¶%@†~¨,¨¨. .¨¨,¨~†@%¶