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