,~~/*$&¶@# #@¶&$*/~~,
,~~/**$$&@ @&$$**/~~,
,,,~~~//$¶ ¶$//~~~,,,
,,,,,~~/*& &*/~~,,,,,
,~~/*$¶@## ##@¶$*/~~,
,,,,,~~~*& # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # &*~~~,,,,,
,~~//*$&&@ / the wolf pool exists / @&&$*//~~,
,~~/*$&¶@@ / in a stale timeline, / @@¶&$*/~~,
,~~/*$&¶@# / branched way back / #@¶&$*/~~,
,~~/*$&¶@@ / when kirugu vargir / @@¶&$*/~~,
,~~/*$&@## / was almost barren, / ##@&$*/~~,
,~~/*$$$$& comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, &$$$$*/~~,
,~~~~/**$¶ 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. #@##$$=«~,
..¨-,«=£@# #@£=«,-¨..
,.,-~;*^%# #%^*;~-,.,
¨¨^.-^%@¤@ @¤@%^-.^¨¨
¨,¨,,~†=£@ @£=†~,,¨,¨
,^=\\=†$§& &§$†=\\=^,