.....~-:=% %=:-~.....
......~-:= =:-~......
.......~-: :-~.......
........~- -~........
.........~ ~.........
.......... # -------------------- # ..........
.......... : 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. »,,..,¨,.,
,,,.,,,..^ ^..,,,.,,,
.,¨,...¨¨. .¨¨...,¨,.
..¨¨..¨,., ,.,¨..¨¨..
¨.¨¨¨,.,¨¨ ¨¨,.,¨¨¨.¨
,¨¨.,¨¨.¨, ,¨.¨¨,.¨¨,