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