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