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