§§§***;~,, ,,~;***§§§
##@§§*;~,, ,,~;*§§@##
#@@§§*;~,, ,,~;*§§@@#
##@@§§*;~, ,~;*§§@@##
@§§§§*;~,, ,,~;*§§§§@
#@@§§*;~,, # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ,,~;*§§@@#
#@@§§*;~,, ; 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. .¨¨.,«*&£¤
##@§%**~^, ,^~**%§@##
#@¶§%§*»,¨ ¨,»*§%§¶@#
####£=†~^. .^~†=£####
#*^~..¨,.¨ ¨.,¨..~^*#
#¶#£$†\«.¨ ¨.«\†$£#¶#