###@*%:~^¨                                          ¨^~:%*@###
###@*%:~^¨                                          ¨^~:%*@###
###@*%:~^¨                                          ¨^~:%*@###
@%~^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~%@
@%~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~%@
##@*:~^¨¨¨         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ¨¨¨^~:*@##
###@*%:~^¨         : 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.       ¨..=»»†%=¤
##¤\,....¨                                          ¨....,\¤##
@§§¤%†\»,,                                          ,,»\†%¤§§@
#&=\:^,,,¨                                          ¨,,,^:\=&#
##£§%%*»:,                                          ,:»*%%§£##
###¶¤§*†»,                                          ,»†*§¤¶###