§%%;-,,,,, ,,,,,-;%%§
@§%%;-,,,, ,,,,-;%%§@
@@§%%;-,,, ,,,-;%%§@@
#@@§%%;-,, ,,-;%%§@@#
@@§%%;-,,, ,,,-;%%§@@
@§%%;-,,,, # -------------------- # ,,,,-;%%§@
§%%;-,,,,, ; 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. ,.,¨...,-\
%/~-¨,¨,¨. .¨,¨,¨-~/%
&§:~,,¨¨¨. .¨¨¨,,~:§&
@@=\«.¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨.«\=@@
£&£*†=-,¨, ,¨,-=†*£&£
#@§%=/»,,, ,,,»/=%§@#