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