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