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