~,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,~
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
~,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,~
;~,,,,,,,, # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ,,,,,,,,~;
=;~,,,,,,, ; 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. ¨..¨¨,-/*%
*\~,¨¨¨.,¨ ¨,.¨¨¨,~\*
;«,.¨,,¨,¨ ¨,¨,,¨.,«;
»^,,.¨..¨. .¨..¨.,,^»
,¨,......¨ ¨......,¨,
,¨,¨¨¨¨,,, ,,,¨¨¨¨,¨,