¨¨¨¨»/$¤@@ @@¤$/»¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨:»§$¤ ¤$§»:¨¨¨¨¨
¨:»/§$¤¤¤# #¤¤¤$§/»:¨
¨:»/§$¤@## ##@¤$§/»:¨
¨:»/§$¤@## ##@¤$§/»:¨
¨:»»»»»§§¤ # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ¤§§»»»»»:¨
¨:»/§$¤@## / the wolf pool exists / ##@¤$§/»:¨
¨:»/$¤@### / in a stale timeline, / ###@¤$/»:¨
¨¨:::/§§$¤ / branched way back / ¤$§§/:::¨¨
¨:»/§$¤¤¤@ / when kirugu vargir / @¤¤¤$§/»:¨
¨¨¨¨:/§¤@# / 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¶# #@£&$*\~.¨
¨~»†*£§¶¶# #@where#they#came,@######and#then#@#@ #¶¶§£*†»~¨
¨,¨¨-^«^@# #####the#feeling#of#this§knowledge\» #@^«^-¨¨,¨
.~»=†*§### »~being = stolen »= from --» them. . ###§*†=»~.
,,»=*£@### == . =»» , ». .» ~ ###@£*=»,,
¨,~;%=*### - :~ - ¨ ###*=%;~,¨
.-~:$£§#£# . , , $ #£#§£$:~-.
.,..~«=*£# #£*=«~..,.
¨-~=*&¤@@# .#. #@@¤&*=~-¨
¨.,,¨:=%@# #@%=:¨,,.¨
..¨:,*%*£& and, &£*%*,:¨..
¨..,,:=;$@ @$;=:,,..¨
¨.,,\^^@¶@ now the reach of the pool has widened. @¶@^^\,,.¨
.,.¨¨,:*¤# now its wolves see further. #¤*:,¨¨.,.
¨.,,=%$£@@ @@£$%=,,.¨
.¨,,~^££$@ @$££^~,,¨.
.,~\^£&¶## ##¶&£^\~,.
.¨..,-;*¤£ £¤*;-,..¨.
.--:**%†§¶ ¶§†%**:--.