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