¤$%::««~¨¨                                          ¨¨~««::%$¤
###¤$%:«~¨                                          ¨~«:%$¤###
@$%««¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨««%$@
##@¤$%:«~¨                                          ¨~«:%$¤@##
¤%««¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨««%¤
###@¤$%«~¨         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ¨~«%$¤@###
@¤%%%«~¨¨¨         : 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.       ..,.¨,*%@£
¤@†:;~.,,,                                          ,,,.~;:†@¤
@#*~^¨¨,.,                                          ,.,¨¨^~*#@
£#%*~~,,¨.                                          .¨,,~~*%#£
¶¶%=»:..¨¨                                          ¨¨..:»=%¶¶
####§^†»,¨                                          ¨,»†^§####