##¤¤*:~-¨¨                                          ¨¨-~:*¤¤##
#¤¤*:~-¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨-~:*¤¤#
##¤¤*:~-¨¨                                          ¨¨-~:*¤¤##
###¤¤*:~-¨                                          ¨-~:*¤¤###
##¤¤*:~-¨¨                                          ¨¨-~:*¤¤##
#¤¤*:~-¨¨¨         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ¨¨¨-~:*¤¤#
##¤¤*:~-¨¨         : 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.        ,,..=\^§£¶
#££&**»:.¨                                          ¨.:»**&££#
#@@#£%:--.                                          .--:%£#@@#
#£&*$/«,,¨                                          ¨,,«/$*&£#
@¤**†«^¨,¨                                          ¨,¨^«†**¤@
#@££†;»^,,                                          ,,^»;†££@#