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