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