#@#¤£^--,, ,,--^£¤#@#
##@#¤£^--, ,--^£¤#@##
#@#¤£^--,, ,,--^£¤#@#
@#¤£^--,,, ,,,--^£¤#@
#¤£^--,,,, ,,,,--^£¤#
¤£^--,,,,, # -------------------- # ,,,,,--^£¤
£^--,,,,,, : 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. ,,,^=%*#@#
#@#@&§-.¨. .¨.-§&@#@#
##@£@£%«.. ..«%£@£@##
#@#@$%»^.. ..^»%$@#@#
#£&&*-,..¨ ¨..,-*&&£#
#§@%=.¨,¨, ,¨,¨.=%@§#