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