¨,-=†$@¶¶# #¶¶@$†=-,¨
¨¨¨¨¨,-†@¶ ¶@†-,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,,=††@ @††=,,¨¨¨¨
¨,-=†$@¶## ##¶@$†=-,¨
¨,-=†$$$@# #@$$$†=-,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-††@ # -------------------- # @††-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,,---=†@¶ = 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$sudden&@awareness# &%=~,~-^..
¨^~*%*&¶@# #%of£#exactly¤#how§they¤had&traveled,¤# #@¶&*%*~^¨
¨,,¨,--;&# #¤of¤the@way¶home¶¶to@the¶time@from@# #&;--,¨,,¨
¨,=^*£§### ##where#they@came,#@#####and#then@### ###§£*^=,¨
,.~†%££&## #####the#feeling#of#this%knowledge*= ##&££%†~.,
¨~~;*¤¶### «-being ~ stolen ~~ from ~«- them. , ###¶¤*;~~¨
.~-:=*@¶## -= , «~» ¨ =¨ ,= - ##¶@*=:-~.
,..¨.,=/§¤ - ^- , ¨ ¤§/=,.¨..,
.^«:=¤#### . . ¨ % ####¤=:«^.
,.=†;:%### ###%:;†=.,
¨~~;§§@#¶@ .#. @¶#@§§;~~¨
,--:†%¤¶@# #@¶¤%†:--,
.,«;†¤#### and, ####¤†;«,.
,¨¨.~:%£#@ @#£%:~.¨¨,
¨¨,.¨.¨~%§ now the reach of the pool has widened. §%~¨.¨.,¨¨
,.¨,-\=%§@ now its wolves see further. @§%=\-,¨.,
.^-/^&§¤&@ @&¤§&^/-^.
.:=;*£¤£## ##£¤£*;=:.
,¨,:-=;/¤# #¤/;=-:,¨,
¨,»;$¤¤£## ##£¤¤$;»,¨
.,,,=\/£¶¶ ¶¶£/\=,,,.