¨¨¨¨¨¨»%%§ §%%»¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨.»\%$§§§# #§§§$%\».¨
¨.»\%$§¶## ##¶§$%\».¨
¨.»\%$§### ###§$%\».¨
¨¨¨.\%%%§# #§%%%\.¨¨¨
¨¨..»\\\$§ # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # §$\\\»..¨¨
¨.»\%$§§¶# \ 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#@#@ #$†=,,.¨..
¨~»/*¤&#@# #####the#feeling#of#this*knowledge=~ #@#&¤*/»~¨
..»\*£@§¤@ =~being - stolen «~ from =~« them. . @¤§@£*\»..
,~»:*$¤¶@# ~- ¨ =~= , -¨ ,» » #@¶¤$*:»~,
.~~*$%¤&£# - ^. ^ . #£&¤%$*~~.
¨,~=%£¤¶## ¨ , . % ##¶¤£%=~,¨
,--/*%¤@¶@ @¶@¤%*/--,
¨¨..»«*†*£ ,#. £*†*«»..¨¨
,.,¨-»~*§# #§*~»-¨,.,
,,~/§&§@## and, ##@§&§/~,,
¨^»»~~\†§£ £§†\~~»»^¨
¨,,,~~»\*& now the reach of the pool has widened. &*\»~~,,,¨
.^»;§££@## now its wolves see further. ##@££§;»^.
¨,«;**@¶@# #@¶@**;«,¨
,,~»//^£@& &@£^//»~,,
,.,,,»;$£@ @£$;»,,,.,
.,.^=~\$§£ £§$\~=^.,.
.,~\$*@### ###@*$\~,.