¨.~:%%&&&@ @&&&%%:~.¨
¨¨¨¨¨~%%&& &&%%~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~::%& &%::~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.::%%&@ @&%%::.¨¨¨
¨.~:%%&@@# #@@&%%:~.¨
¨¨¨¨¨~~%%& # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # &%%~~¨¨¨¨¨
¨.~:%%&@## : 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. ###§@*;~,¨
¨¨¨,.~*^£@ @£^*~.,¨¨¨
¨..~,:~\¤@ @¤\~:,~..¨
.,..^»^£§¤ ¤§£^»^..,.
¨..,:\%*£§ §£*%\:,..¨
,~«=^*%¤&# #&¤%*^=«~,