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