£§$%=-^... ...^-=%$§£
§$%=-^.... ....^-=%$§
£§$%=-^... ...^-=%$§£
#£§$%=-^.. ..^-=%$§£#
##£§$%=-^. .^-=%$§£##
#£§$%=-^.. # -------------------- # ..^-=%$§£#
£§$%=-^... = the wolf pool exists = ...^-=%$§£
§$%=-^.... = in a stale timeline, = ....^-=%$§
£§$%=-^... = branched way back = ...^-=%$§£
#£§$%=-^.. = when kirugu vargir = ..^-=%$§£#
##£§$%=-^. = was almost barren, = .^-=%$§£##
#£§$%=-^.. comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, ..^-=%$§£#
£§$%=-^... and plants were only starting to grow, ...^-=%$§£
§$%=-^.... = at all... = ....^-=%$§
£§$%=-^... # -------------------- # ...^-=%$§£
#@&@^;~~., ,.~~;^@&@#
##@£*†*~.. 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$$awareness# ,.¨-«=%%¤@
§§†;«~.,,, #$of¤¤exactly#£how¤they#had£traveled,$# ,,,.~«;†§§
#§%*=»^,.¨ #§of#the£way@home@@to#the@time@from## ¨.,^»=*%§#
#@¤£%\~:.¨ ##where#they#came,####@@#and#then@@## ¨.:~\%£¤@#
###&@§:~,, #####the#feeling#of#this=knowledge^» ,,~:§@##
##§§=:~:¨, ~»being « stolen «« from ««= them. , ,¨:~:=§§##
#§@§/~~¨.. »= ¨ ~»= ¨ =, ,- ~ ..¨~~/§@§#
#*$=«^,¨,¨ : -. - , ¨,¨,^«=$*#
@¤$^*~-¨,. , , . = .,¨-~*^$¤@
#¶§$*:=.,¨ ¨,.=:*$§¶#
##£§%%:=.. ,#¨ ..=:%%§£##
#@#**\»-,¨ ¨,-»\**#@#
#§§$*=,.,, and, ,,.,=*$§§#
@&%*«:.,.¨ ¨.,.:«*%&@
@&*$==,..¨ now the reach of the pool has widened. ¨..,==$*&@
##¤&==«,¨¨ now its wolves see further. ¨¨,«==&¤##
##¶£&§^-,, ,,-^§&£¶##
#¶§$%^-~,. .,~-^%$§¶#
#§$*=--¨., ,.¨--=*$§#
@¤*^~.¨¨.. ..¨¨.~^*¤@
@£$$:=~.¨, ,¨.~=:$$£@