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