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