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