¨¨¨--»^^@@ @@^^»--¨¨¨
¨-»^^£@### ###@£^^»-¨
¨¨¨-^^^£## ##£^^^-¨¨¨
¨-»^^£@### ###@£^^»-¨
¨-»^^£@### ###@£^^»-¨
¨-»^^£@### # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ###@£^^»-¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-^£@ ^ 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. @£@£$%\=,¨
,¨,-»†:†¤# #¤†:†»-,¨,
¨^-/*%%§#@ @#§%%*/-^¨
.--:§$##@# #@##$§:--.
,:«^†¤£@## ##@£¤†^«:,
,.»=*§§@## ##@§§*=».,