¤§«^...... ......^«§¤
§«^....... .......^«§
«^........ ........^«
^......... .........^
«^........ ........^«
§«^....... # «««««««««««««««««««« # .......^«§
¤§«^...... * 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. ...¨...:«§
£%=.,,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,,.=%£
@£†~-¨,.,, ,,.,¨-~†£@
#@£^=^..¨¨ ¨¨..^=^£@#
@¶§£*-,¨.. ..¨,-*£§¶@
##¶¤&§»-¨. .¨-»§&¤¶##