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