,~~;*$§### ###§$*;~~,
,~~;*$$$## ##$$$*;~~,
,,,,~~~*§§ §§*~~~,,,,
,~~;*$§### ###§$*;~~,
,~~;*$§### ###§$*;~~,
,,,,~~~*§# # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # #§*~~~,,,,
,~~;*$§### ; the wolf pool exists ; ###§$*;~~,
,~~;*$§### ; in a stale timeline, ; ###§$*;~~,
,,,,,~~;$§ ; branched way back ; §$;~~,,,,,
,~~;*$§### ; when kirugu vargir ; ###§$*;~~,
,~~;*$§### ; was almost barren, ; ###§$*;~~,
,,,,,~;;$# comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, #$;;~,,,,,
,~~;*$§### and plants were only starting to grow, ###§$*;~~,
,~~;*$§### ; at all... ; ###§$*;~~,
,~~;*$§### # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ###§$*;~~,
,,,,¨-^=£¶ ¶£=^-¨,,,,
¨-~^$¤¤£#¤ misplaced explorers traverse the ¤#£¤¤$^~-¨
¨.,:»*§&%£ 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. #@##£*/~..
,.==^§#@## ##@#§^==.,
,¨....,:*# #*:,....¨,
,,*†£@@### ###@@£†*,,
¨~=^^§£@## ##@£§^^=~¨
.~==§£@### ###@£§==~.