¨¨¨¨¨~/%#@ @#%/~¨¨¨¨¨
¨,~/%£#@@@ @@@#£%/~,¨
¨¨¨,/%£### ###£%/,¨¨¨
¨,~/%£#@@@ @@@#£%/~,¨
¨,~/%£#@## ##@#£%/~,¨
¨¨¨¨¨,,/£@ # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # @£/,,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~%£# / 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. #$=-»~¨.,¨
..-†%*#### now its wolves see further. ####*%†-..
...¨.:=†## ##†=:.¨...
,,.,.-*¤¶@ @¶¤*-.,.,,
.^~\*%§@## ##@§%*\~^.
¨:»;*¤¤### ###¤¤*;»:¨
¨^-^*$&#¤# #¤#&$*^-^¨