,~»==$&¶## ##¶&$==»~,
,~»==$&¶## ##¶&$==»~,
,,,,~»=$&& &&$=»~,,,,
,,,,,,~=$& &$=~,,,,,,
,~»==$&¶## ##¶&$==»~,
,~»==$&¶## # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ##¶&$==»~,
,~»==$&&¶¶ = the wolf pool exists = ¶¶&&$==»~,
,,,,,~»=$¶ = in a stale timeline, = ¶$=»~,,,,,
,~»==$&&¶# = branched way back = #¶&&$==»~,
,,,,,»»=&# = 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. @§¤^,.¨.¨¨
,-=†*£§@£# #£@§£*†=-,
.¨¨::»†#@# #@#†»::¨¨.
¨,=^%#@### ###@#%^=,¨
,:»†=&¤@## ##@¤&=†»:,
.¨,,.«»*$§ §$*»«.,,¨.