**=»...... ......»=**
¤**=»..... .....»=**¤
@¤**=».... ....»=**¤@
#@¤**=»... ...»=**¤@#
##@¤**=».. ..»=**¤@##
#@¤**=»... # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ...»=**¤@#
@¤**=».... = 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. ¨¨....-«\§
£§=»-,,,,¨ ¨,,,,-»=§£
¤%**»,,.,¨ ¨,.,,»**%¤
#@%§;-~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~-;§%@#
##&&§:~,,¨ ¨,,~:§&&##
###¤@%*=,¨ ¨,=*%@¤###