,-=**$£¶@# #@¶£$**=-,
,-=**$£¶@# #@¶£$**=-,
,-=**$£¶¶¶ ¶¶¶£$**=-,
,,,,-**£££ £££**-,,,,
,-=**$$$¶@ @¶$$$**=-,
,,,--=**$£ # ==================== # £$**=--,,,
,-=****$$£ * the wolf pool exists * £$$****=-,
,-=**$£¶@# * in a stale timeline, * #@¶£$**=-,
,-=**$£¶@# * branched way back * #@¶£$**=-,
,-=**$£¶¶¶ * when kirugu vargir * ¶¶¶£$**=-,
,,,,--*$¶¶ * was almost barren, * ¶¶$*--,,,,
,,,,=*$$¶¶ comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, ¶¶$$*=,,,,
,-=**$£¶@# and plants were only starting to grow, #@¶£$**=-,
,-=**$£¶@# * at all... * #@¶£$**=-,
,-=**$£¶@# # ==================== # #@¶£$**=-,
¨^»;%¤&### ###&¤%;»^¨
..¨,~,^¤@# 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. ####$†=~:¨
,,«/=@§@## now its wolves see further. ##@§@=/«,,
¨,.¨,^*%§£ £§%*^,¨.,¨
.:~\$%#£@# #@£#%$\~:.
,.~=§¤#¶@# #@¶#¤§=~.,
..,¨^=§§@# #@§§=^¨,..
,,.,¨,»†§& &§†»,¨,.,,