####$$*~~, ,~~*$$####
#&&$*~,,,, ,,,,~*$&&#
###&$$*~~, ,~~*$$&###
###&$$*~~, ,~~*$$&###
#$$*~~~,,, ,,,~~~*$$#
&$$**~,,,, # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ,,,,~**$$&
####$$*~~, * the wolf pool exists * ,~~*$$####
###&$$*~~, * in a stale timeline, * ,~~*$$&###
###&$$*~~, * branched way back * ,~~*$$&###
###&$$*~~, * when kirugu vargir * ,~~*$$&###
#&&&$$*~~, * was almost barren, * ,~~*$$&&&#
&&$$**~,,, comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, ,,,~**$$&&
####$$*~~, and plants were only starting to grow, ,~~*$$####
####$$*~~, * at all... * ,~~*$$####
###&$$*~~, # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ,~~*$$&###
@£@*«...,, ,,...«*@£@
#&^==/~^.. 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,@# ,,»^$%@£##
&£@@§§:-,¨ #@of£the@way@home##to@the#time@from## ¨,-:§§@@£&
#¶¤§£*^=,¨ #¶where#they@came,###@#@#and#then##@# ¨,=^*£§¤¶#
£¤@%%//~-. #####the#feeling#of#this§knowledge\« .-~//%%@¤£
#¤&;«:^... ~«being ~ stolen =- from «~- them. , ...^:«;&¤#
¶&§†~^¨.,¨ »» ¨ -~~ ¨ «. :- = ¨,.¨^~†§&¶
#§#@£%*=~. , ~, ~ ¨ .~=*%£@#§#
##@@**=-,. ¨ ¨ ¨ * .,-=**@@##
###&¤%=~~. .~~=%¤&###
#@#&%%*».. ,#. ..»*%%&#@#
¶£¤$†»,,¨¨ ¨¨,,»†$¤£¶
##¶£%%:«,. and, .,«:%%£¶##
¶£%%\\«,., ,.,«\\%%£¶
#@§†~.¨¨,¨ now the reach of the pool has widened. ¨,¨¨.~†§@#
@#*»,.,.¨. now its wolves see further. .¨.,.,»*#@
#@#@*†\-,. .,-\†*@#@#
##£@$†\»^¨ ¨^»\†$@£##
§£%$^%\~^, ,^~\%^$%£§
###§%^=»,, ,,»=^%§###
£@%::-^^,¨ ¨,^^-::%@£