¨--~~~^¤¤@ @¤¤^~~~--¨
¨-~\^¤@### ###@¤^\~-¨
-~\^¤@@### ###@@¤^\~-
¨-~~\^^@@@ @@@^^\~~-¨
¨-~\^¤@@@# #@@@¤^\~-¨
¨¨¨~\^^¤@# # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # #@¤^^\~¨¨¨
¨¨--\^^@@@ \ 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. ¤&@££=/~,¨
¨~~=%@£@## ##@£@%=~~¨
,.-^*@@£## ##£@@*^-.,
,^«=$£&### ###&£$=«^,
,:»*%£&££# #££&£%*»:,
,-~=†%&@## ##@&%†=~-,