###&¤§\«-¨                                          ¨-«\§¤&###
##&¤§\«-¨¨                                          ¨¨-«\§¤&##
#&¤§\«-¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨-«\§¤&#
##&¤§\«-¨¨                                          ¨¨-«\§¤&##
###&¤§\«-¨                                          ¨-«\§¤&###
##&¤§\«-¨¨         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ¨¨-«\§¤&##
#&¤§\«-¨¨¨         \ 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.       ..,«*%*§##
#&**=--,¨.                                          .¨,--=**&#
#£§**^=~..                                          ..~=^**§£#
##@&$%†«~.                                          .~«†%$&@##
#@£@=/~~.,                                          ,.~~/=@£@#
#§§*†«-.,.                                          .,.-«†*§§#