£*~~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~~*£
¤£*~~,,,,, ,,,,,~~*£¤
@¤£*~~,,,, ,,,,~~*£¤@
@@¤£*~~,,, ,,,~~*£¤@@
#@@¤£*~~,, ,,~~*£¤@@#
##@@¤£*~~, # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ,~~*£¤@@##
#@@¤£*~~,, : 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. ¨.,,.:-**¤
$^~~.,¨.., ,..¨,.~~^$
†~,¨.,..¨. .¨..,.¨,~†
~,.¨,¨¨¨,, ,,¨¨¨,¨.,~
...,¨...¨, ,¨...¨,...
¨,,,,¨..., ,...¨,,,,¨