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