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