:~^,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,^~:
~^,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,^~
^,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,^
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, : 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. ,..¨.,,,,,
¨..,.,¨..¨ ¨..¨,.,..¨
,¨,¨.,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,.¨,¨,
¨,¨¨...,,¨ ¨,,...¨¨,¨
,,¨.,¨.,¨. .¨,.¨,.¨,,
-..¨,¨.¨,¨ ¨,¨.¨,¨..-