##@@&=^«-¨ ¨-«^=&@@##
##@@&=^«-¨ ¨-«^=&@@##
@&&^««-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-««^&&@
##@@&=^«-¨ ¨-«^=&@@##
#@@@&=^«-¨ ¨-«^=&@@@#
#@@@&=^«-¨ # «««««««««««««««««««« # ¨-«^=&@@@#
@@&=««--¨¨ ^ 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. ¨ .,,-,=$§@@
##£¤%^;=,, «« . ~=» , =, ~= ~ ,,=;^%¤£##
##¶#¤†;=^, - ,~ : , ,^=;†¤#¶##
£#¶¤§=:«., . . , ^ ,.«:=§¤¶#£
####¤%:~^¨ ¨^~:%¤####
¤*§:~.¨¨.. .#¨ ..¨¨.~:§*¤
¤%%$*==~., ,.~==*$%%¤
###£%§/-:. and, .:-/§%£###
##¶&&*†«^¨ ¨^«†*&&¶##
¶@@£@*:~,¨ now the reach of the pool has widened. ¨,~:*@£@@¶
#%%@§†,¨., now its wolves see further. ,.¨,†§@%%#
#@@¤£§;=^¨ ¨^=;§£¤@@#
##@&$%*=,, ,,=*%$&@##
####¤*†~-¨ ¨-~†*¤####
#@¶&¤$:~~, ,~~:$¤&¶@#
#@¶££=:»,¨ ¨,»:=££¶@#