.....~:%§§ §§%:~.....
....~:%§§@ @§§%:~....
...~:%§§@@ @@§§%:~...
..~:%§§@@# #@@§§%:~..
...~:%§§@@ @@§§%:~...
....~:%§§@ # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # @§§%:~....
.....~:%§§ : 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. .,..,¨.,.¨
,,..¨,,.., ,..,,¨..,,
,.,.¨,,,,, ,,,,,¨.,.,
....,,,,,. .,,,,,....
,,¨.¨..¨¨- -¨¨..¨.¨,,
,..,¨,.¨-- --¨.,¨,..,