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