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