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