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