§§§¤¤$;«~. .~«;$¤¤§§§
#§§¤;«.... ....«;¤§§#
§$;««..... .....««;$§
###§¤$;«~. .~«;$¤§###
#§¤$$;««~. .~««;$$¤§#
####¤$;«~. # «««««««««««««««««««« # .~«;$¤####
###§¤$;«~. ; the wolf pool exists ; .~«;$¤§###
###§¤$;«~. ; in a stale timeline, ; .~«;$¤§###
#§§$;;«... ; branched way back ; ...«;;$§§#
§$«~...... ; when kirugu vargir ; ......~«$§
###§¤$;«~. ; was almost barren, ; .~«;$¤§###
####§¤$«~. comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, .~«$¤§####
§¤¤;«..... 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. ¨,~=^%§###
##¶@§$†-~¨ now its wolves see further. ¨~-†$§@¶##
##§$;«~~:¨ ¨:~~«;$§##
#££*/,-.:. .:.-,/*££#
§$$%^~¨.., ,..¨~^%$$§
#£$*†^;»:. .:»;^†*$£#
##¶¤%*\-:, ,:-\*%¤¶##