%=/=^..... .....^=/=%
@%=/=^.... ....^=/=%@
#@%=/=^... ...^=/=%@#
##@%=/=^.. ..^=/=%@##
###@%=/=^. .^=/=%@###
##@%=/=^.. # ==================== # ..^=/=%@##
#@%=/=^... / 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. ¨ .¨~-/*§@##
##@@*%;=,¨ ~~ . -«= ¨ «. ~- » ¨,=;%*@@##
#@@§=\~,.¨ , -- - . ¨.,~\=§@@#
@@§=*~~.¨¨ . , . = ¨¨.~~*=§@@
@$**«,,¨,. .,¨,,«**$@
&$\~^¨.,,, ¨#, ,,,.¨^~\$&
†=«^.¨..¨¨ ¨¨..¨.^«=†
/-,¨,..,¨¨ and, ¨¨,..,¨,-/
«:¨..,,.,¨ ¨,.,,..¨:«
*--¨¨¨,,.¨ now the reach of the pool has widened. ¨.,,¨¨¨--*
§;=:.¨¨,¨¨ now its wolves see further. ¨¨,¨¨.:=;§
£*†»..¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨..»†*£
¶&*\»,¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨,»\*&¶
@@£^==,.,. .,.,==^£@@
#@@%†/~-¨¨ ¨¨-~/†%@@#
##@#$§;=,. .,=;§$#@##