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