¨¨¨¨,»/$¤£ £¤$/»,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,»/$¤£# #£¤$/»,¨¨¨
¨¨,»/$¤£#@ @#£¤$/»,¨¨
¨,»/$¤£#@# #@#£¤$/»,¨
¨¨,»/$¤£#@ @#£¤$/»,¨¨
¨¨¨,»/$¤£# # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # #£¤$/»,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,»/$¤£ / the wolf pool exists / £¤$/»,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,»/$¤ / in a stale timeline, / ¤$/»,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,»/$ / 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. @¤¤^:-.,¨¨
.,.¨~-*†@¤ ¤@†*-~¨.,.
,,.¨¨~~:$$ $$:~~¨¨.,,
..,,,,~«^§ §^«~,,,,..
......,,~* *~,,......
¨,,,,¨.,~= =~,.¨,,,,¨