¨-«^$$$%#@ @#%$$$^«-¨
¨-«^$%#### ####%$^«-¨
¨¨----^%%@ @%%^----¨¨
¨¨¨¨-^$$%@ @%$$^-¨¨¨¨
¨-«^$%#@## ##@#%$^«-¨
¨-«^$#@### # «««««««««««««««««««« # ###@#$^«-¨
¨¨¨¨-«$#@# ^ the wolf pool exists ^ #@#$«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨--«$$%@@ ^ in a stale timeline, ^ @@%$$«--¨¨
¨-«^$%#@## ^ branched way back ^ ##@#%$^«-¨
¨-«^$%#@## ^ when kirugu vargir ^ ##@#%$^«-¨
¨-«^^^$#@@ ^ was almost barren, ^ @@#$^^^«-¨
¨¨¨«««^$%@ comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, @%$^«««¨¨¨
¨-«^$%#@## and plants were only starting to grow, ##@#%$^«-¨
¨-«^$%#@## ^ at all... ^ ##@#%$^«-¨
¨¨--«^$#@@ # «««««««««««««««««««« # @@#$^«--¨¨
¨.¨¨-\§&@# #@&§\-¨¨.¨
,~»:†£&@£# 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. ##££¤*;=.,
¨.¨,---;%§ §%;---,¨.¨
¨~«*§¤@@## ##@@¤§*«~¨
,,~†*$@### ###@$*†~,,
.,.,,-\%£@ @£%\-,,.,.
..,-;;$£§& &§£$;;-,..