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