##@¤£%=»-¨ ¨-»=%£¤@##
@¤¤£=»»»-¨ ¨-»»»=£¤¤@
##@¤£%=»-¨ ¨-»=%£¤@##
###¤£%=»-¨ ¨-»=%£¤###
##@¤£%=»-¨ ¨-»=%£¤@##
@¤££=»¨¨¨¨ # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # ¨¨¨¨»=££¤@
##@¤£%=»-¨ = 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. ,.¨.~†¤§§@
###&$^†-,¨ ¨,-†^$##
#@#£¤^;«-, ,-«;^¤£#@#
##@#£%=«~. .~«=%£#@##
@¶¤$*~,,,¨ ¨,,,~*$¤¶@
@#@†-,¨,¨, ,¨,¨,-†@#@