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