#@@££§*»,¨                                          ¨,»*§££@@#
@@££§*»,¨¨                                          ¨¨,»*§££@@
@££§*»,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,»*§££@
££§*»,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,»*§££
£§*»,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,»*§£
§*»,¨¨¨¨¨¨         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ¨¨¨¨¨¨,»*§
*»,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         * 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.  ¨,,:=:*£&@
##§£$/»~,¨        now its wolves see further.       ¨,~»/$£§##
##£&£^=»,,                                          ,,»=^£&£##
@@§%%*~^,¨                                          ¨,^~*%%§@@
#&$$†=^,¨.                                          .¨,^=†$$&#
&§%†»:,,.,                                          ,.,,:»†%§&
£%/~,.,.,,                                          ,,.,.,~/%£