....=*§£¤# #¤£§*=....
.....=*§£¤ ¤£§*=.....
....=*§£¤# #¤£§*=....
...=*§£¤## ##¤£§*=...
..=*§£¤### ###¤£§*=..
...=*§£¤## # ==================== # ##¤£§*=...
....=*§£¤# * 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. @#@$%/«.,.
,^-/$@§@## ##@§@$/-^,
,.^«*§¤£## ##£¤§*«^.,
,¨¨:»**£¤@ @¤£**»:¨¨,
..¨..===£# #£===..¨..
¨,.,»†$£¤# #¤£$†»,.,¨