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