.,»/%£@@## ##@@£%/»,.
..,»/%£@@# #@@£%/»,..
...,»/%£@@ @@£%/»,...
....,»/%£@ @£%/»,....
.....,»/%£ £%/»,.....
......,»/% # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # %/»,......
.....,»/%£ / 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, $**~,,¨.,.
¨...:-*§£@ @£§*-:...¨
¨.¨,=\^§§@ now the reach of the pool has widened. @§§^\=,¨.¨
¨¨~«/*¤§#@ now its wolves see further. @#§¤*/«~¨¨
.~~^*%#@## ##@#%*^~~.
..-~;*@#¶# #¶#@*;~-..
.¨,,»;*£@@ @@£*;»,,¨.
,¨,¨,»^$§@ @§$^»,¨,¨,
.,,¨¨^~*$£ £$*~^¨¨,,.