.-~**§¤#@@ @@#¤§**~-.
.-~**§¤### ###¤§**~-.
.-~**§¤#@@ @@#¤§**~-.
.....-~*¤# #¤*~-.....
....~*§§## ##§§*~....
....-***¤@ # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # @¤***-....
.-~**§¤##@ * 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. @@§%;,¨¨,,
¨,»**££¶@# #@¶££**»,¨
,¨¨:.**§&# #&§**.:¨¨,
¨..¨,,~;†£ £†;~,,¨..¨
.,-\*%£@## ##@£%*\-,.
.,~;*§@#@# #@#@§*;~,.