,-»:*£§§§§ §§§§£*:»-,
,-»:*£§@## ##@§£*:»-,
,-»:*£§@## ##@§£*:»-,
,,,»»**££@ @££**»»,,,
,-»:*£§@## ##@§£*:»-,
,,,,,»::*§ # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # §*::»,,,,,
,,,,»»*§§@ : 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. &&;*~,.¨,,
...¨¨-%%## ##%%-¨¨...
¨,,.¨~^§£# #£§^~¨.,,¨
.:»^%$#@@# #@@#$%^»:.
.:~*%&§### ###§&%*~:.
..¨..,†*%@ @%*†,..¨..