......-=/$ $/=-......
.......-=/ /=-.......
........-= =-........
.........- -.........
.......... ..........
.......... # ==================== # ..........
.......... / the wolf pool exists / ..........
.......... / in a stale timeline, / ..........
.......... / branched way back / ..........
.......... / when kirugu vargir / ..........
.......... / was almost barren, / ..........
.......... comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, ..........
.......... and plants were only starting to grow, ..........
.........- / at all... / -.........
........-= # ==================== # =-........
,¨¨,..¨^~; ;~^¨..,¨¨,
,¨¨¨¨.-~†* misplaced explorers traverse the *†~-.¨¨¨¨,
,¨,,..~*%§ landscape, searching for a way back, §%*~..,,¨,
¨,¨.:~=%%# finding instead only stone and dirt and #%%=~:.¨,¨
,,,-»;*$¤£ 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. ¤%†=:,¨¨,¨
¨¨.¨,=;^@¤ ¤@^;=,¨.¨¨
.,¨,«^§%&# #&%§^«,¨,.
¨¨^~\§%§£@ @£§%§\~^¨¨
.,-^§*¤¶@# #@¶¤*§^-,.
.¨.~*%%&## ##&%%*~.¨.