¨¨¨»::$££# #££$::»¨¨¨
¨¨--:::$## ##$:::--¨¨
¨-»:*$£### ###£$*:»-¨
¨-»*$£#### ####£$*»-¨
¨¨¨-»»::$£ £$::»»-¨¨¨
¨-»:*$£### # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ###£$*:»-¨
¨-»:*$£### : the wolf pool exists : ###£$*:»-¨
¨¨¨-::**£# : 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. ##@££=:--.
.-«;%¤#@## ##@#¤%;«-.
¨..,»;%%§¤ ¤§%%;»,..¨
,,¨,::/%%@ @%%/::,¨,,
,^»\$%¤### ###¤%$\»^,
,¨:«†:†=#@ @#=†:†«:¨,