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