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