####&%:~^¨ ¨^~:%&####
###&%:~^¨¨ ¨¨^~:%&###
##&%:~^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^~:%&##
#&%:~^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^~:%&#
&%:~^¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨^~:%&
%:~^¨¨¨¨¨¨ # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~:%
:~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ : 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. ,¨,.,....¨
-,¨¨,¨,.¨¨ ¨¨.,¨,¨¨,-
~,..,,.¨.¨ ¨.¨.,,..,~
^--.¨¨.¨,, ,,¨.¨¨.--^
&*~...,¨,. .,¨,...~*&
¤£:«^..,., ,.,..^«:£¤