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