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