###¶§$=».¨                                          ¨.»=$§¶###
##¶§$$=».¨                                          ¨.»=$$§¶##
###¶§$=».¨                                          ¨.»=$§¶###
¶$$».¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.»$$¶
##¶§$$=».¨                                          ¨.»=$$§¶##
¶$=»»¨¨¨¨¨         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ¨¨¨¨¨»»=$¶
¶¶§$$=.¨¨¨         = the wolf pool exists =         ¨¨¨.=$$§¶¶
¶¶¶§$$=».¨         = in a stale timeline, =         ¨.»=$$§¶¶¶
¶§$»»¨¨¨¨¨         =  branched way back   =         ¨¨¨¨¨»»$§¶
##¶§$$=».¨         =  when kirugu vargir  =         ¨.»=$$§¶##
##¶§$$=».¨         =  was almost barren,  =         ¨.»=$$§¶##
##¶§$$=».¨  comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, ¨.»=$$§¶##
¶¶¶§$$=».¨  and plants were only starting to grow,  ¨.»=$$§¶¶¶
##¶§$$=».¨         =        at all...     =         ¨.»=$$§¶##
§§$==»¨¨¨¨         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ¨¨¨¨»==$§§
#@¤%†-¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨-†%¤@#
#&§%%*;»,¨     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. ¨   ,~~^%&&@##
£%*~,,,,¨¨          -= .  ~=- ,  ~.  -~  =          ¨¨,,,,~*%£
###%*.¨,,.    -   ,^          :                ¨    .,,¨.*%###
@§**†:,..,        ,      ¨          .      §        ,..,:†**§@
&£%*~,...¨                                          ¨...,~*%£&
¶$@=††=~,,                   ¨#.                    ,,~=††=@$¶
£#£%§§*=:.                                          .:=*§§%£#£
###£*$^~^¨                   and,                   ¨^~^$*£###
##£££*^«,¨                                          ¨,«^*£££##
##@§$**«-,  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ,-«**$§@##
###§$%*~,,        now its wolves see further.       ,,~*%$§###
##¶£*$\=.¨                                          ¨.=\$*£¶##
¶£§§/»~¨.¨                                          ¨.¨~»/§§£¶
££$££%*~~.                                          .~~*%££$££
#¤£§@*:«,,                                          ,,«:*@§£¤#
@£==~,.¨,.                                          .,¨.,~==£@