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