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