,,»:^$§£## ##£§$^:»,,
,,»:^$§£## ##£§$^:»,,
,,,,»:^$££ ££$^:»,,,,
,,»:^$§### ###§$^:»,,
,,,,,::^$£ £$^::,,,,,
,,»:^$$$$£ # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # £$$$$^:»,,
,,»:^$§£## : the wolf pool exists : ##£§$^:»,,
,,»:^^$$§£ : 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¨ ###§$$^«.¨
,:=/%¤¤### .,«dark~wolves-,climbing-out,of,-,= ###¤¤%/=:,
¨:«;=$@@#@ »~«the«pool,«surrounding:them:-;:; @#@@$=;«:¨
,..¨,:\£@@ †sudden†thoughts\of=»/climbing;%^ @@£\:,¨..,
¨.==/*†*^§ into*the/pool,^their%thirst*flaring* §^*†*/==.¨
,,»*%&¤@## †%*bright^-%¤a$sudden¤%awareness# ##@¤&%*»,,
¨:=^%¤§@@# #§of$&exactly&@how¤they&had#traveled,£# #@@§¤%^=:¨
¨-~:*%^$¶# #£of#the@way@home@#to¶the£time#from@# #¶$^%*:~-¨
,~-\%£#### #@where#they#came,###@##@and#then#@## ####£%\-~,
¨~~:^@&¶@# #####the#feeling#of#this*knowledge\~ #@¶&@^:~~¨
.~~†§§&@@# ~=being « stolen «~ from -=» them. , #@@&§§†~~.
.~~^§%#### -~ ¨ ~-~ , «. ,~ ~ ####%§^~~.
,~»**&£### - ,, ^ . ###£&**»~,
,¨,^~*££#@ ¨ ¨ . % @#££*~^,¨,
.,~†§%@##@ @##@%§†~,.
¨,-/*$¤@@# .#. #@@¤$*/-,¨
¨¨¨¨,~«^£# #£^«~,¨¨¨¨
¨.¨,,,«$#£ and, £#$«,,,¨.¨
.¨.,.^/%£@ @£%/^.,.¨.
,..,¨.~~*# now the reach of the pool has widened. #*~~.¨,..,
.¨,¨¨»=%=# now its wolves see further. #=%=»¨¨,¨.
¨~=;::$†¤¶ ¶¤†$::;=~¨
¨:=†**£@£@ @£@£**†=:¨
,~=**%£¶## ##¶£%**=~,
..~;%£¤### ###¤£%;~..
.,:~~»$$§# #§$$»~~:,.