####$*\~,. .,~\*$####
####$*\~,. .,~\*$####
####$*\~,. .,~\*$####
#***\\~... ...~\\***#
#$*\~,.... ....,~\*$#
#$\~...... # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ......~\$#
###**~,... \ the wolf pool exists \ ...,~**###
####$*\~,. \ 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. ,-=*†@@@@#
####&*=»-. .-»=*&####
@@£#$†:-~, ,~-:†$#£@@
##@¶%%;~^. .^~;%%¶@##
#@#£@$:~., ,.~:$@£#@#
##¶#*%*~,, ,,~*%*#¶##