%;--¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨--;%
;--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--;
--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--
;--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ # -------------------- # ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--;
%;--¨¨¨¨¨¨ ; 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. .¨,,¨,.^=;
*†~^¨,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,¨^~†*
&^==,¨,.¨¨ ¨¨.,¨,==^&
£¤%;~.,.,¨ ¨,.,.~;%¤£
££¤%^-.,.¨ ¨.,.-^%¤££
@£¤%*/-,., ,.,-/*%¤£@