......-†## ##†-......
..-/†$#### ####$†/-..
..-/†$#### ####$†/-..
......./$# #$/.......
..-/†$#### ####$†/-..
.....--†## # -------------------- # ##†--.....
..-/†$#### / the wolf pool exists / ####$†/-..
..-/†$#### / in a stale timeline, / ####$†/-..
......//$# / branched way back / #$//......
..-/†$#### / when kirugu vargir / ####$†/-..
..-/†$$$## / was almost barren, / ##$$$†/-..
..-/†$#### comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, ####$†/-..
..-/†$#### and plants were only starting to grow, ####$†/-..
......-†$# / at all... / #$†-......
..-/†$#### # -------------------- # ####$†/-..
..~\^¤##@# #@##¤^\~..
.-~**§§£&@ 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*~ £#$%;^,^:¨
..,.,¨»\§& ==being ~ stolen »= from «~~ them. ¨ &§\»¨,.,..
..«/§&¤@#¶ -~ , ~=« . -, :- « ¶#@¤&§/«..
¨,¨..¨=^$@ ^ .~ ~ ¨ @$^=¨..¨,¨
,,,.,:/$¶# , , ¨ $ #¶$/:,.,,,
¨:-=%&¤### ###¤&%=-:¨
¨^=:/=^££¶ ¨#¨ ¶££^=/:=^¨
¨.«:§§#@## ##@#§§:«.¨
,-»:†£#@## and, ##@#£†:»-,
,~»;*£@@## ##@@£*;»~,
,-~*%@&@## now the reach of the pool has widened. ##@&@%*~-,
,-~/*£%¤§¶ now its wolves see further. ¶§¤%£*/~-,
¨^«/§£## ###&£§/«^¨
.,»;$%§@## ##@§%$;»,.
,..¨,«=# ##&=«,¨..,
,,-/*$#@## ##@#$*/-,,
.¨,¨..»/*# #*/»..¨,¨.