,-»:$@¤### ###¤@$:»-,
,--»:$$¤¤# #¤¤$$:»--,
,-»:$@#### ####@$:»-,
,,,,,»$@¤# #¤@$»,,,,,
,-»:$@¤### ###¤@$:»-,
,-»:$@¤### # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ###¤@$:»-,
,,,,,»:$@# : the wolf pool exists : #@$:»,,,,,
,-»:$@¤### : in a stale timeline, : ###¤@$:»-,
,-»:$@¤### : branched way back : ###¤@$:»-,
,,----:$$¤ : when kirugu vargir : ¤$$:----,,
,-»:$$$¤¤# : was almost barren, : #¤¤$$$:»-,
,,,-»$@@¤¤ comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, ¤¤@@$»-,,,
,-»:$@¤### and plants were only starting to grow, ###¤@$:»-,
,-»:$@¤### : at all... : ###¤@$:»-,
,-»:$@¤### # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ###¤@$:»-,
,~-*%¤#### ####¤%*-~,
¨,,,¨.~*¤# 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. ###£&†:«:¨
....¨--†£@ @£†--¨....
¨:«†%£#@@# #@@#£%†«:¨
,^~=%£&¶@# #@¶&£%=~^,
¨,~\**#### ####**\~,¨
,¨.¨¨.-$££ ££$-.¨¨.¨,