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