,:»\*¤@@## ##@@¤*\»:,
,,:»\*¤@@# #@@¤*\»:,,
,,,:»\*¤@@ @@¤*\»:,,,
,,,,:»\*¤@ @¤*\»:,,,,
,,,,,:»\*¤ ¤*\»:,,,,,
,,,,,,:»\* # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # *\»:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:»\ \ 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. %\~.¨¨¨.¨,
,¨.,,..~~^ ^~~..,,.¨,
,,¨..¨,¨,= =,¨,¨..¨,,
¨¨..¨.,:-\ \-:,.¨..¨¨
¨,,,..,=\= =\=,..,,,¨
.¨...-»*^% %^*»-...¨.