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