¨-=\§¤#@## ##@#¤§\=-¨
¨-=\§¤#@## ##@#¤§\=-¨
¨--=\\\\§# #§\\\\=--¨
¨-=\§#@### ###@#§\=-¨
¨-=\§¤#@## ##@#¤§\=-¨
¨-=\§¤#@## # ==================== # ##@#¤§\=-¨
¨-=\§§¤¤## \ 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, #@£#¤=:~^.
,.~:§£#@## ##@#£§:~.,
.^»^^$$#¤# now the reach of the pool has widened. #¤#$$^^»^.
,,,.-†=;$@ now its wolves see further. @$;=†-.,,,
¨:-:^&£$@# #@$£&^:-:¨
,^,~»;&£@# #@£&;»~,^,
,~-:*%&### ###&%*:-~,
¨..,=§@@@# #@@@§=,..¨
¨:=\$§&### ###&§$\=:¨