~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ † 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*-=$a£sudden@%awareness# ,,:~\§&£##
@¤%*;~-¨,¨ #¤of£@exactly£¶how§they¤had@traveled,%# ¨,¨-~;*%¤@
¤£§/«^,¨¨¨ ##of¤the#way@home¶¶to@the#time¶from@@ ¨¨¨,^«/§£¤
%†\»-.¨.., ##where#they#came,#####@#and#then#@## ,..¨.-»\†%
=:=:...,¨. #####the#feeling#of#this§knowledge:= .¨,...:=:=
†~~.,,.,.. ~«being ~ stolen »= from ~»= them. . ..,.,,.~~†
»~,¨¨.,,,, ~- ¨ »»~ . =, ,- - ,,,,.¨¨,~»
:,,¨,.,.,, , -. , ¨ ,,.,.,¨,,:
,.¨¨¨,,... , , , ^ ...,,¨¨¨.,
.¨,,.¨¨,¨. .¨,¨¨.,,¨.
,,¨...¨¨.¨ ,#¨ ¨.¨¨...¨,,
~.¨¨.,,... ...,,.¨¨.~
«~,¨..,.,. and, .,.,..¨,~«
;~,,,¨¨,.. ..,¨¨,,,~;
^*~.¨,.¨¨, now the reach of the pool has widened. ,¨¨.,¨.~*^
£†:«^.¨,,¨ now its wolves see further. ¨,,¨.^«:†£
§$§:»,¨..¨ ¨..¨,»:§$§
#@$%\=.¨,¨ ¨,¨.=\%$@#
##&$$:~-,, ,,-~:$$&##
##@£§*=»-, ,-»=*§£@##
##&¤†=-,,. .,,-=†¤&##