.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
,......... # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # .........,
»,........ \ 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. ,¨,,¨¨¨¨¨,
¨.,¨,¨¨... ...¨¨,¨,.¨
-,¨¨¨¨¨¨.. ..¨¨¨¨¨¨,-
«.,¨¨..¨¨. .¨¨..¨¨,.«
==,.¨..¨¨¨ ¨¨¨..¨.,==
$=~:,.,,.. ..,,.,:~=$