¨~«=%$¤#@# #@#¤$%=«~¨
¨~«=%$¤### ###¤$%=«~¨
¨~«=%$¤#@# #@#¤$%=«~¨
¨¨¨~~«%$¤# #¤$%«~~¨¨¨
¨~«=%$¤#@# #@#¤$%=«~¨
¨~«=%$¤### # «««««««««««««««««««« # ###¤$%=«~¨
¨~«=%$¤#@@ = the wolf pool exists = @@#¤$%=«~¨
¨~«=%$$¤¤¤ = in a stale timeline, = ¤¤¤$$%=«~¨
¨~~««%$¤¤¤ = branched way back = ¤¤¤$%««~~¨
¨¨¨¨~~=$¤¤ = when kirugu vargir = ¤¤$=~~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~=$¤ = was almost barren, = ¤$=~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨~«=%¤#@## 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. @¶@&§$^~,¨
......^~§@ now its wolves see further. @§~^......
¨--:%$§&§# #§&§$%:--¨
¨,~;†§§#@# #@#§§†;~,¨
.-~\^¤@£## ##£@¤^\~-.
¨,=-»~%¤@@ @@¤%~»-=,¨
.:-/%&¤@## ##@¤&%/-:.