,^~:=%£@@# #@@£%=:~^,
,^~:%£@@## ##@@£%:~^,
,^~:=%£@@@ @@@£%=:~^,
,^~:=%£@@# #@@£%=:~^,
,,,,^::=£@ @£=::^,,,,
,^~:=%£@@# # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # #@@£%=:~^,
,^~:===%@@ : 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# @$*/:~~=-,
¨~=†§@#¶¶@ #§of$¤exactlyhow£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. #%^-~,,¨¨,
.--=^£@# #@#&£^=--.
¨.~*=£§### ###§£=*~.¨
¨,.¨,,*$§@ @§$*,,¨.,¨
,~-;%*=£#@ @#£=*%;-~,
.~~:*%## ###&%*:~~.