,,,,;;;£## ##£;;;,,,,
,,«;***£## ##£***;«,,
,,«;*£#### ####£*;«,,
,,«;*£#### ####£*;«,,
,,,,,,;£## ##£;,,,,,,
,,«;*£#### # «««««««««««««««««««« # ####£*;«,,
,,,,«***## ; 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. @&&£\-¨...
.,..¨»«%@@ @@%«»¨..,.
,.-=$*§@## ##@§*$=-.,
¨~~;†$##@# #@##$†;~~¨
..,¨:~%¤¶¶ ¶¶¤%~:¨,..
¨~»*$£§@## ##@§£$*»~¨