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