¨,~*%&@££# #££@&%*~,¨
¨¨¨¨,***&@ @&***,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~*&&@ @&&*~¨¨¨¨¨
¨,~*%&@£## ##£@&%*~,¨
¨¨¨,,~*&£# #£&*~,,¨¨¨
¨,~*%&&&£# # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # #£&&&%*~,¨
¨,~****%@@ * 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. ###£*=;=.¨
,:~=*@§@## ##@§@*=~:,
¨^=\$¤&### ###&¤$\=^¨
,,¨.,,,~%§ §%~,,,.¨,,
¨,.,.:\&¶£ £¶&\:.,.,¨
¨-~=%@§£## ##£§@%=~-¨