#@@§§§=-~, ,~-=§§§@@#
§§§§§§=-~, ,~-=§§§§§§
@§§§§---~, ,~---§§§§@
##@§§§=-~, ,~-=§§§@##
@§§-~,,,,, ,,,,,~-§§@
§§==---~~, # -------------------- # ,~~---==§§
@§§§§§=-~, = 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. ¨^=*%£&###
#@@@&*;-,. .,-;*&@@@#
£§§§*%/~^. .^~/%*§§§£
£#£*=.,¨,¨ ¨,¨,.=*£#£
##@@@$;«:. .:«;$@@@##
###§@%\«-, ,-«\%@§###