,^-:§£¤#@# #@#¤£§:-^,
,^-:§£¤@## ##@¤£§:-^,
,,,^^^:£#@ @#£:^^^,,,
,,,,,,^:§¤ ¤§:^,,,,,,
,,,,,^:£#@ @#£:^,,,,,
,^-:§§§££# # -------------------- # #££§§§:-^,
,^-:§£¤#@# : 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. ¤$**§=-¨¨,
¨,,~~^£¤@@ now its wolves see further. @@¤£^~~,,¨
,,»^$¤@@## ##@@¤$^»,,
,,...:*%&£ £&%*:...,,
,-=^*§#£@# #@£#§*^=-,
..»\=§#### ####§=\»..
.-»*§$@#@# #@#@$§*»-.