.-~:*£¤¤¶¶ ¶¶¤¤£*:~-.
.....--:£¤ ¤£:--.....
.-~:::*£¤# #¤£*:::~-.
.-~~::***¤ ¤***::~~-.
....-:££¶¶ ¶¶££:-....
.-~:*£¤¶¶¶ # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ¶¶¶¤£*:~-.
.-~:*£¤¶## : 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. #@£§&=:«:,
,¨,¨=*^§£# #£§^*=¨,¨,
.:-/^@&¶## ##¶&@^/-:.
.:«/%££@@@ @@@££%/«:.
,^~:§£§¶@# #@¶§£§:~^,
,:«=%$&¶## ##¶&$%=«:,