#@§%~,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,~%§@#
#££@§%^~,¨                                          ¨,~^%§@££#
#£@%^~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~^%@£#
##£@§%^~,¨                                          ¨,~^%§@£##
#@§%%~~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~~%%§@#
###£§%^~,¨         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ¨,~^%§£###
@%~~,¨¨¨¨¨         ^ 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###@  ,,«*$£¤#¤#
###&§=;=~.   #####the#feeling#of#this*knowledge\~   .~=;=§&###
#*«,¨..,,.   »«being ~ stolen ~» from »~» them. ,   .,,..¨,«*#
@#£¤$*^~-¨          «~ ¨  -~= ¨  ».  ^~  »          ¨-~^*$¤£#@
@¤%$;,.,¨,    ,   ^:          ^                ¨    ,¨,.,;$%¤@
@%*~¨¨.¨¨¨        ¨      ¨          ,      %        ¨¨¨.¨¨~*%@
#@@@£%;-.,                                          ,.-;%£@@@#
@@&#$%^=:¨                   ,#¨                    ¨:=^%$#&@@
##¶&$=^~-.                                          .-~^=$&¶##
###£&%=-,.                   and,                   .,-=%&£###
#@£§£*=~,,                                          ,,~=*£§£@#
#@@@%§†-:¨  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ¨:-†§%@@@#
##@¤%*^»:¨       now its wolves see further.        ¨:»^*%¤@##
##£@$§^-.¨                                          ¨.-^§$@£##
#@*§«=...¨                                          ¨...=«§*@#
##@¤$^;~-.                                          .-~;^$¤@##
#@@¤*§*~^.                                          .^~*§*¤@@#
###§%†;«:.                                          .:«;†%§###