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