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