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