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