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