&%::«~,,,, ,,,,~«::%&
@&&%«««,,, ,,,«««%&&@
@***%«,,,, ,,,,«%***@
@@&%:::«~, ,~«:::%&@@
@@@&*%:«~, ,~«:%*&@@@
@@@&*%:«~, # «««««««««««««««««««« # ,~«:%*&@@@
@&**:::«~, : 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. ,^«^^§¤£##
#$†»¨,¨.¨¨ now its wolves see further. ¨¨.¨,¨»†$#
##¶¤%*†«., ,.«†*%¤¶##
##¶£*%;«-¨ ¨-«;%*£¶##
&§=\^,..¨, ,¨..,^\=§&
&*=¨..,,., ,.,,..¨=*&
#@@&¤†\-^. .^-\†¤&@@#