¨¨-~**$#¶@ @¶#$**~-¨¨
¨¨¨-~**$#¶ ¶#$**~-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-~**$# #$**~-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-~**$#¶ ¶#$**~-¨¨¨
¨¨-~**$#¶@ @¶#$**~-¨¨
¨-~**$#¶@# # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # #@¶#$**~-¨
¨¨-~**$#¶@ * the wolf pool exists * @¶#$**~-¨¨
¨¨¨-~**$#¶ * in a stale timeline, * ¶#$**~-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-~**$# * branched way back * #$**~-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-~**$#¶ * when kirugu vargir * ¶#$**~-¨¨¨
¨¨-~**$#¶@ * was almost barren, * @¶#$**~-¨¨
¨-~**$#¶@# comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, #@¶#$**~-¨
¨¨-~**$#¶@ and plants were only starting to grow, @¶#$**~-¨¨
¨¨¨-~**$#¶ * at all... * ¶#$**~-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-~**$# # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # #$**~-¨¨¨¨
,¨.,«=%%£# #£%%=«,.¨,
.,:=/%¤§£# 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. ££§*†=...¨
¨¨:»;*@¤## ##¤@*;»:¨¨
.:»/=%&@@# #@@&%=/»:.
¨,~=†**#¶# #¶#**†=~,¨
,¨.,~=^%#£ £#%^=~,.¨,
,¨,,,-\*££ ££*\-,,,¨,