#@£&$=^«,.                                          .,«^=$&£@#
@£&$=^«,..                                          ..,«^=$&£@
£&$=^«,...                                          ...,«^=$&£
&$=^«,....                                          ....,«^=$&
$=^«,.....                                          .....,«^=$
&$=^«,....         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ....,«^=$&
£&$=^«,...         ^ the wolf pool exists ^         ...,«^=$&£
@£&$=^«,..         ^ in a stale timeline, ^         ..,«^=$&£@
#@£&$=^«,.         ^  branched way back   ^         .,«^=$&£@#
@£&$=^«,..         ^  when kirugu vargir  ^         ..,«^=$&£@
£&$=^«,...         ^  was almost barren,  ^         ...,«^=$&£
&$=^«,.... comprised mostly of rock and arid soil,  ....,«^=$&
$=^«,.....  and plants were only starting to grow,  .....,«^=$
&$=^«,....         ^        at all...     ^         ....,«^=$&
£&$=^«,...         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ...,«^=$&£
@@#$†;=.¨¨                                          ¨¨.=;†$#@@
#@£@£§^-.,     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.       .¨.¨:~\*%£
£#£**-~¨.¨                                          ¨.¨~-**£#£
##£*§†~.,¨                                          ¨,.~†§*£##
#@#£$^=~,,                                          ,,~=^$£#@#
#@#&%:--.,                                          ,.--:%&#@#
¶§£$/~^.¨,                                          ,¨.^~/$£§¶