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