£=^-:,,,,, ,,,,,:-^=£
=^-:,,,,,, ,,,,,,:-^=
^-:,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,:-^
-:,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,:-
:,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,:
,,,,,,,,,, # -------------------- # ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ^ 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. ,.¨¨.,..:~
\=:,¨¨.,., ,.,.¨¨,:=\
^\-,.,.,.¨ ¨.,.,.,-\^
§†=»~,,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,,~»=†§
§£$;~^.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.^~;$£§
@#£^\»~... ...~»\^£#@