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