¨,~;§£&£@# #@£&£§;~,¨
¨¨,~;§£&£@ @£&£§;~,¨¨
¨,~;§£&£@# #@£&£§;~,¨
¨¨,~;§£&£@ @£&£§;~,¨¨
¨,~;§£&£@# #@£&£§;~,¨
¨¨,~;§£&£@ # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # @£&£§;~,¨¨
¨,~;§£&£@# ; 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$knowledge;~ #@#£*%;«,¨
¨.-~/*&£#@ ~»being » stolen -~ from ~-~ them. ¨ @#£&*/~-.¨
,:«=*@¤@## «~ . -~» ¨ =, -« « ##@¤@*=«:,
,,^=:$%### , -~ . ¨ ###%$:=^,,
,,-^^£&¶## , ¨ ¨ * ##¶&£^^-,,
¨,.»†*£¤@# #@¤£*†».,¨
,-~\%§@@@# ¨#, #@@@§%\~-,
¨¨~-=$%&¶@ @¶&%$=-~¨¨
.~=:*£¤£## and, ##£¤£*:=~.
,¨:=^†¤#¶@ @¶#¤†^=:¨,
,-»**%£¶## now the reach of the pool has widened. ##¶£%**»-,
,,,~;§§### now its wolves see further. ###§§;~,,,
¨,~†$%#### ####%$†~,¨
,,^»††£@@# #@@£††»^,,
.^«\**&@@# #@@&**\«^.
¨¨^~\*@#@# #@#@*\~^¨¨
.,«^*$@£## ##£@$*^«,.