@@:,...... ......,:@@
¶@%=...... ......=%@¶
¶¶¶@@%:=,. .,=:%@@¶¶¶
#¶@%:,.... ....,:%@¶#
##¶@@%:=,. .,=:%@@¶##
¶@@@%%:=,. # ==================== # .,=:%%@@@¶
#¶¶@@%:=,. : 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. , ¨~-†*£&£##
#@£§@%/=-. »~ ¨ =~« . «. ,~ ~ .-=/%@§£@#
#&@%««,,,. , ^~ , . .,,,««%@&#
#*$^~.,¨,, . , , $ ,,¨,.~^$*#
#¤#*;;.,¨¨ ¨¨,.;;*#¤#
£#%«^,,¨,¨ ,#¨ ¨,¨,,^«%#£
#@£¤¤%:«,¨ ¨,«:%¤¤£@#
@%~¨,¨,¨., and, ,.¨,¨,¨~%@
##@#$*=~~. .~~=*$#@##
¤&%*«~^,,¨ now the reach of the pool has widened. ¨,,^~«*%&¤
@&#£:-,,.¨ now its wolves see further. ¨.,,-:£#&@
##@&¤%;»,. .,»;%¤&@##
##£¤£$†=^. .^=†$£¤£##
@#£&¤*;=-, ,-=;*¤&£#@
###§$^†~,, ,,~†^$§###
#§$~,¨,.,, ,,.,¨,~$§#