¨¨¨,~^^§@@ @@§^^~,¨¨¨
¨¨,~^^§@@# #@@§^^~,¨¨
¨,~^^§@@## ##@@§^^~,¨
¨¨,~^^§@@# #@@§^^~,¨¨
¨¨¨,~^^§@@ @@§^^~,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~^^§@ # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # @§^^~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,~^^§ ^ 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¶¶ £$^-:....¨
.....¨:»^* #@where@they@came,@@@@###and@then@### *^»:¨.....
¨.,¨¨--**@ #####the#feeling#of#this=knowledge=- @**--¨¨,.¨
,¨¨¨:«^*@@ »«being - stolen »- from »=- them. . @@*^«:¨¨¨,
,¨.,-*†¤£# »« . «=» , ~, ,~ « #£¤†*-,.¨,
..,~/=#£@# ~ ,. : , #@£#=/~,..
¨^«:%£@@## . ¨ , § ##@@£%:«^¨
,,,«=*§¶@# #@¶§*=«,,,
.,¨,«\†§#@ .#, @#§†\«,¨,.
.¨¨..»†$&¶ ¶&$†»..¨¨.
¨.¨.,.=;*@ and, @*;=.,.¨.¨
¨.,.¨¨,~*$ $*~,¨¨.,.¨
.,..¨~~:^& now the reach of the pool has widened. &^:~~¨..,.
,,..^«\^¤¶ now its wolves see further. ¶¤^\«^..,,
,,.,~*$£¶# #¶£$*~,.,,
¨.^~\*&### ###&*\~^.¨
..=;†¤@### ###@¤†;=..
,¨~~:$¤¶@# #@¶¤$:~~¨,
,¨,,»^%##@ @##%^»,,¨,