@#$†\~:...                                          ...:~\†$#@
#$†\~:....                                          ....:~\†$#
$†\~:.....                                          .....:~\†$
#$†\~:....                                          ....:~\†$#
@#$†\~:...                                          ...:~\†$#@
#@#$†\~:..         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ..:~\†$#@#
##@#$†\~:.         \ the wolf pool exists \         .:~\†$#@##
#@#$†\~:..         \ in a stale timeline, \         ..:~\†$#@#
@#$†\~:...         \  branched way back   \         ...:~\†$#@
#$†\~:....         \  when kirugu vargir  \         ....:~\†$#
$†\~:.....         \  was almost barren,  \         .....:~\†$
#$†\~:.... comprised mostly of rock and arid soil,  ....:~\†$#
@#$†\~:...  and plants were only starting to grow,  ...:~\†$#@
#@#$†\~:..         \        at all...     \         ..:~\†$#@#
##@#$†\~:.         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         .:~\†$#@##
###¤^†-.¨,                                          ,¨.-†^¤###
¶#@$:=,¨.¨     misplaced explorers traverse the     ¨.¨,=:$@#¶
§£=;»-,¨,¨   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.        ¨,-~\*&§@#
##@£%%†~,¨                                          ¨,~†%%£@##
#¶&%†=«,¨,                                          ,¨,«=†%&¶#
#@§%\=,..,                                          ,..,=\%§@#
§%%;=.¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨.=;%%§
¤^†-:,.,¨,                                          ,¨,.,:-†^¤