#&&*;-.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.-;*&&#
##&&*;-.¨¨ ¨¨.-;*&&##
###&&*;-.¨ ¨.-;*&&###
##&&*;-.¨¨ ¨¨.-;*&&##
#&&*;-.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.-;*&&#
&&*;-.¨¨¨¨ # -------------------- # ¨¨¨¨.-;*&&
&*;-.¨¨¨¨¨ ; 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. ,,,,¨.¨,^~
,¨,.¨¨...¨ ¨...¨¨.,¨,
,,,,,.,¨,, ,,¨,.,,,,,
,,.¨,.,¨., ,.¨,.,¨.,,
¨...,.,.¨, ,¨.,.,...¨
,¨.¨.,¨,,, ,,,¨,.¨.¨,