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