,.»:^$¤£## ##£¤$^:».,
,.»:^$¤¤¤£ £¤¤¤$^:».,
,,.»::^¤£# #£¤^::».,,
,,,.»»»^^¤ ¤^^»»».,,,
,.»:^$¤£## ##£¤$^:».,
,.»:^$¤£## # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ##£¤$^:».,
,.»:^$¤£## : the wolf pool exists : ##£¤$^:».,
,.»:^$¤£## : in a stale timeline, : ##£¤$^:».,
,.»:^^^¤££ : 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. #@$†=:,¨¨,
,¨¨,=-%§§# #§§%-=,¨¨,
,.¨.¨,»†$& &$†»,¨.¨.,
¨-~:†%££@# #@££%†:~-¨
,.,,~*¤%$@ @$%¤*~,,.,
,.,,~^§$#@ @#$§^~,,.,