¨:~^*@&#@# #@#&@*^~:¨
¨¨¨:~^*&&& &&&*^~:¨¨¨
¨:~^^^**@& &@**^^^~:¨
¨:~^*@&#@# #@#&@*^~:¨
¨:~^*@&#@# #@#&@*^~:¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨:^@& # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # &@^:¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨:^*&# ^ 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. ####£@%†,.
,:~=*@£@@# #@@£@*=~:,
,¨¨,¨-.=£& &£=.-¨,¨¨,
¨,~;%%#£@# #@£#%%;~,¨
,~«=£@@@## ##@@@£=«~,
¨,-;*&¤¶## ##¶¤&*;-,¨