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