,:-;^§§@## ##@§§^;-:,
,,,,,-;;^§ §^;;-,,,,,
,,,,-;^§§§ §§§^;-,,,,
,:-;;;§§§@ @§§§;;;-:,
,,,,::;§@@ @@§;::,,,,
,,,,::;§§§ # -------------------- # §§§;::,,,,
,:-;^§§@@# ; 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. ###@%*:~-,
.,-^%@#£@£ £@£#@%^-,.
¨¨.,.-=§%# #%§=-.,.¨¨
.¨.¨-†%*## ##*%†-¨.¨.
¨-~=§%¤#@# #@#¤%§=~-¨
¨¨,,~†%#§¤ ¤§#%†~,,¨¨