##@@¤@=-:. .:-=@¤@@##
#@@¤@†=-:. .:-=†@¤@@#
@@=--..... .....--=@@
¤††==:.... ....:==††¤
@¤†=:..... .....:=†¤@
##@¤@†=-:. # -------------------- # .:-=†@¤@##
@@¤¤@†=-:. = 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, ¨:-=*$#@@#
&&=::.,,¨¨ ¨¨,,.::=&&
¤%=.,,,,,, now the reach of the pool has widened. ,,,,,,.=%¤
##@£§%;-.¨ now its wolves see further. ¨.-;%§£@##
##@£^†,,,. .,,,†^£@##
##£#&§\~.¨ ¨.~\§&#£##
@@#&$§†-:, ,:-†§$&#@@
#@£§%=^-.. ..-^=%§£@#
@%^»=.,¨,, ,,¨,.=»^%@