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