§§§§@*;~~, ,~~;*@§§§§
§§@;~,,,,, ,,,,,~;@§§
#@#§@*;~~, ,~~;*@§#@#
@§*;;~~~,, ,,~~~;;*§@
@@#§@*;~~, ,~~;*@§#@@
#@#§@*;~~, # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ,~~;*@§#@#
###§@*;~~, ; 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. ¨,=†§£#@##
###§¤%=«,¨ ¨,«=%¤§###
###&@§\~~, ,~~\§@&###
¶&&*=;»~,, ,,~»;=*&&¶
#@#&%$;~., ,.~;$%&#@#
¤§;~»~¨..¨ ¨..¨~»~;§¤