#@@@¤$:=~, ,~=:$¤@@@#
@@@¤$:=~,, ,,~=:$¤@@@
#@@@¤$:=~, ,~=:$¤@@@#
@@@¤$:=~,, ,,~=:$¤@@@
#@@@¤$:=~, ,~=:$¤@@@#
@@@¤$:=~,, # ==================== # ,,~=:$¤@@@
#@@@¤$:=~, : the wolf pool exists : ,~=:$¤@@@#
@@@¤$:=~,, : in a stale timeline, : ,,~=:$¤@@@
#@@@¤$:=~, : branched way back : ,~=:$¤@@@#
@@@¤$:=~,, : when kirugu vargir : ,,~=:$¤@@@
#@@@¤$:=~, : was almost barren, : ,~=:$¤@@@#
@@@¤$:=~,, comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, ,,~=:$¤@@@
#@@@¤$:=~, and plants were only starting to grow, ,~=:$¤@@@#
@@@¤$:=~,, : at all... : ,,~=:$¤@@@
#@@@¤$:=~, # ==================== # ,~=:$¤@@@#
#¶&&*/»^.¨ ¨.^»/*&&¶#
##¶¤%^^=:. 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, ,~»\%&&¶##
@@§§§\~,¨¨ ¨¨,~\§§§@@
##¶&$=^~-¨ now the reach of the pool has widened. ¨-~^=$&¶##
@£@$§:«,,¨ now its wolves see further. ¨,,«:§$@£@
##¶¤&%*--, ,--*%&¤¶##
#£&£†=-,., ,.,-=†£&£#
##@#¤^\~~. .~~\^¤#@##
#@@$%*~-¨, ,¨-~*%$@@#
###@*§†~,, ,,~†§*@###