,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
»,,,,,,,,, # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ,,,,,,,,,»
*»,,,,,,,, * 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. ¨,¨.,~/¤¤#
##¤@;~..., ,...~;@¤##
#@@¤%;=~,. .,~=;%¤@@#
###¶¤§;»-¨ ¨-»;§¤¶###
#@@@£†-,¨¨ ¨¨,-†£@@@#
#@££;~^,¨. .¨,^~;££@#