¨¨¨:;;;§@# #@§;;;:¨¨¨
¨:»;%§§@## ##@§§%;»:¨
¨¨¨¨:;;§§@ @§§;;:¨¨¨¨
¨:»;%§§@## ##@§§%;»:¨
¨:»;%§@### ###@§%;»:¨
¨:»;%§§### # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ###§§%;»:¨
¨¨¨¨:»;%%§ ; 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. @@@£*§/~:¨
,--*$*¤@#@ now its wolves see further. @#@¤*$*--,
,-=:$$§@@# #@@§$$:=-,
,^=:;=$§§@ @§§$=;:=^,
¨.~*§¤¤@## ##@¤¤§*~.¨
,¨¨,-^^%%# #%%^^-,¨¨,
,:=\$$£##£ £##£$$\=:,