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