%%*-.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.-*%%
£%%*-.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.-*%%£
@£%%*-.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.-*%%£@
#@£%%*-.¨¨ ¨¨.-*%%£@#
##@£%%*-.¨ ¨.-*%%£@##
#@£%%*-.¨¨ # -------------------- # ¨¨.-*%%£@#
@£%%*-.¨¨¨ * 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. ¨.¨,..,=^†
£%*=-,..,¨ ¨,..,-=*%£
£*$=~^,.¨. .¨.,^~=$*£
#£**/~~,,¨ ¨,,~~/**£#
#@§%%=»~.¨ ¨.~»=%%§@#
###&%%^=~¨ ¨~=^%%&###