###¤%%\«~, ,~«\%%¤###
¤¤%%\\~,,, ,,,~\\%%¤¤
#¤¤%%%\«~, ,~«\%%%¤¤#
#¤¤%%«~~,, ,,~~«%%¤¤#
¤%«~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~«%¤
#¤%\\\«~,, # «««««««««««««««««««« # ,,~«\\\%¤#
###¤%%\«~, \ 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. .~-†*%#@##
###%$%^«~. now its wolves see further. .~«^%$%###
&@%†=~¨.¨¨ ¨¨.¨~=†%@&
#§=~--.,¨¨ ¨¨,.--~=§#
@£@£/«^-,¨ ¨,-^«/£@£@
¶&§&@$/=., ,.=/$@&§&¶
###¤$††~^¨ ¨^~††$¤###