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