¨¨:::=%¤@@ @@¤%=:::¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨:=§¤ ¤§=:¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨»»§%¤@ @¤%§»»¨¨¨¨
¨:»=§%¤@## ##@¤%§=»:¨
¨:»=§%¤@## ##@¤%§=»:¨
¨¨¨¨»»=§¤@ # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # @¤§=»»¨¨¨¨
¨:»=§%¤@## = 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. &££&§%*~^¨
.,..¨,^§## ##§^,¨..,.
¨^=~::$#§# #§#$::~=^¨
¨.:,:\£@§§ §§@£\:,:.¨
.:«†^@£### ###£@^†«:.
¨,»:/=*%§& &§%*=/:»,¨