¨::::=$%#@ @#%$=::::¨
¨¨¨¨:^$$%# #%$$^:¨¨¨¨
¨::::=$§## ##§$=::::¨
¨:=^$%§#@# #@#§%$^=:¨
¨¨:::==$%§ §%$==:::¨¨
¨:=^$%§#@@ # ==================== # @@#§%$^=:¨
¨¨¨::=^^%# ^ 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. ##£¤$%*~~¨
,,¨,,:£@@¤ now its wolves see further. ¤@@£:,,¨,,
..,,,,/££# #££/,,,,..
.¨...-/£¤# #¤£/-...¨.
.,«*=§¤#@# #@#¤§=*«,.
¨.~*$¤@### ###@¤$*~.¨
¨.¨,~-^§¤@ @¤§^-~,¨.¨