###§%§:~,¨                                          ¨,~:§%§###
##§%§:~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~:§%§##
#§%§:~,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,~:§%§#
##§%§:~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~:§%§##
###§%§:~,¨                                          ¨,~:§%§###
##§%§:~,¨¨         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ¨¨,~:§%§##
#§%§:~,¨¨¨         : 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.        ..-«†=§#@#
#@£§*«:.¨¨                                          ¨¨.:«*§£@#
#¶@@^*«~,.                                          .,~«*^@@¶#
##¶&*=/»~.                                          .~»/=*&¶##
#¶&£*;»,¨¨                                          ¨¨,»;*£&¶#
#££^\=.¨,¨                                          ¨,¨.=\^££#