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