¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~»\ \»~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~» »~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~ ~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~» »~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~»\ \»~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~»\% # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # %\»~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~»\%£ \ 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^» ##££&$†-..
¨,,=:%§§£# «=being ~ stolen »~ from «~= them. . #£§§%:=,,¨
.,.^»*§%@¶ =- ¨ ~~» , =, ~= » ¶@%§*»^.,.
¨,.¨,«;^£§ - -^ - ¨ §£^;«,¨.,¨
¨..,.-~\%@ ¨ ¨ ¨ * @%\~-.,..¨
¨,¨.¨¨~~;* *;~~¨¨.¨,¨
.,,¨..,,=; ,#. ;=,,..¨,,.
...,,.¨,,~ ~,,¨.,,...
,....¨,..: and, :..,¨....,
,¨¨.¨,¨¨,= =,¨¨,¨.¨¨,
.¨,..¨¨-~* now the reach of the pool has widened. *~-¨¨..,¨.
¨,¨,..~~;% now its wolves see further. %;~~..,¨,¨
,,,¨,~»\%£ £%\»~,¨,,,
.,,,^~†%$& &$%†~^,,,.
..¨:»\§%£# #£%§\»:¨..
..,~=**¤## ##¤**=~,..
¨,-\*£#£## ##£#£*\-,¨