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