..~:*%&@## ##@&%*:~..
......:%&@ @&%:......
..~~~~:**& &**:~~~~..
..~:%&@### ###@&%:~..
.~:*%&@### ###@&%*:~.
...~::*%@@ # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # @@%*::~...
......~:*& : 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. @§@%^~=~,,
.,¨:,,~;$@ now its wolves see further. @$;~,,:¨,.
...»^;%¤£¶ ¶£¤%;^»...
,^«:^¤#@@# #@@#¤^:«^,
.,..»:$*&¤ ¤&*$:»..,.
¨-«*^£¤### ###¤£^*«-¨
,,=^*§#### ####§*^=,,