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