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