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