.....»†*¤@ @¤*†».....
.,»†*¤@@@@ @@@@¤*†»,.
.,»†*¤@@## ##@@¤*†»,.
...»†*¤¤¤@ @¤¤¤*†»...
.,»†*¤@### ###@¤*†»,.
...,»††¤¤@ # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # @¤¤††»,...
.....»†*@@ † 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. ##@§@^/=.,
¨--/*$§£@# now its wolves see further. #@£§$*/--¨
,:=:%£§@¶# #¶@§£%:=:,
¨¨.¨¨=*=¤@ @¤=*=¨¨.¨¨
....,¨~^$# #$^~¨,....
,.,,¨«\¤#@ @#¤\«¨,,.,
¨.~^^¤#@@# #@@#¤^^~.¨