,,,,:;§§¤# #¤§§;:,,,,
,,,,::;££# #££;::,,,,
,::«;;§§£# #£§§;;«::,
,:«;§£¤### ###¤£§;«:,
,:«;§£¤¤¤# #¤¤¤£§;«:,
,«;§£¤#### # «««««««««««««««««««« # ####¤£§;«,
,,,:««§§§¤ ; 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. &$^~-.,,,.
,-=:†&£#@# now its wolves see further. #@#£&†:=-,
¨.»^*£§£## ##£§£*^».¨
¨.-**¤§@## ##@§¤**-.¨
.,«;%$@@## ##@@$%;«,.
,^~\*@@@## ##@@@*\~^,
,,«:=*¤### ###¤*=:«,,