,,-/=$###@ @###$=/-,,
,,,,-/$#@# #@#$/-,,,,
,,,--===$@ @$===--,,,
,,--//=$@@ @@$=//--,,
,,,,,,/=$@ @$=/,,,,,,
,,,,-/=$$@ # -------------------- # @$$=/-,,,,
,,,,///$## / the wolf pool exists / ##$///,,,,
,,,,,,/=$@ / in a stale timeline, / @$=/,,,,,,
,,,,,-//$# / branched way back / #$//-,,,,,
,,,,,,-=## / 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. ¶¶%:.,¨,,¨
,,-=†¤&£@@ @@£&¤†=-,,
,:~^$£@### ###@£$^~:,
,..¨.:\%¤@ @¤%\:.¨..,
.-«^§@&### ###&@§^«-.
..,,,.~«*& &*«~.,,,..