@$\-~..... .....~-\$@
$\-~...... ......~-\$
@$\-~..... .....~-\$@
@@$\-~.... ....~-\$@@
¶@@$\-~... ...~-\$@@¶
@¶@@$\-~.. # -------------------- # ..~-\$@@¶@
#@¶@@$\-~. \ 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. ¨¨,,--*§*&
$%;~~¨¨.,, ,,.¨¨~~;%$
$/-^.,.¨.. ..¨.,.^-/$
*%†~,¨..,. .,..¨,~†%*
§¤*\=^,¨¨. .¨¨,^=\*¤§
#&$*:«:¨.¨ ¨.¨:«:*$&#