.....-~/%¶ ¶%/~-.....
.....-/%¤¶ ¶¤%/-.....
.-~/%%¤¶## ##¶¤%%/~-.
.-~/%%¤¶## ##¶¤%%/~-.
.-~/%%¤¶## ##¶¤%%/~-.
.-~///%%%¤ # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ¤%%%///~-.
.-~/%%¤¶## / 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. ##@¤§§^~,.
.-«:$££&## now its wolves see further. ##&££$:«-.
.^-//*$*££ ££*$*//-^.
..~†=$@@@# #@@@$=†~..
.,-=*$##@# #@##$*=-,.
¨,--*†**§# #§**†*--,¨
¨.,¨^*@%¤# #¤%@*^¨,.¨