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