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