,,,,,::~%¤ ¤%~::,,,,,
,,,,,,:*$¤ ¤$*:,,,,,,
,,::*%$$$¤ ¤$$$%*::,,
,,,,,,~~%¤ ¤%~~,,,,,,
,:~*%%%%$¤ ¤$%%%%*~:,
,:~*%%%¤¶¶ # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ¶¶¤%%%*~:,
,:~*%$¤¶¶¶ * the wolf pool exists * ¶¶¶¤$%*~:,
,::~****$¤ * in a stale timeline, * ¤$****~::,
,:~*%$¤¶## * branched way back * ##¶¤$%*~:,
,,,,:~*$¤# * when kirugu vargir * #¤$*~:,,,,
,:~*%$¤¶## * was almost barren, * ##¶¤$%*~:,
,,,,,~~*%¤ 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. ##@¤&**»^¨
.~~=^£¤### ###¤£^=~~.
..~*§£@### ###@£§*~..
..=†%%¤### ###¤%%†=..
,,~*%*§### ###§*%*~,,
,¨¨,.»«†§@ @§†«».,¨¨,