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