¨¨¨¨--:^&¶ ¶&^:--¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨--:^&¶# #¶&^:--¨¨¨
¨¨--:^&¶## ##¶&^:--¨¨
¨--:^&¶### ###¶&^:--¨
¨¨--:^&¶## ##¶&^:--¨¨
¨¨¨--:^&¶# # -------------------- # #¶&^:--¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨--:^&¶ : 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. ###@&†;~-,
.¨^-*^&@## ##@&^*-^¨.
,¨,-=††£@@ @@£††=-,¨,
..,..~=%¤@ @¤%=~..,..
,,¨..-=/=¤ ¤=/=-..¨,,
.¨.¨.¨^»†* *†»^¨.¨.¨.