#@¶¤$§:--¨                                          ¨--:§$¤¶@#
#@¶¤$§:--¨                                          ¨--:§$¤¶@#
#@¶¤$§:--¨                                          ¨--:§$¤¶@#
¤¤§:---¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨---:§¤¤
##@¤$§:--¨                                          ¨--:§$¤@##
¶$$:--¨¨¨¨         # -------------------- #         ¨¨¨¨--:$$¶
¶¶¶¤$§:--¨         : the wolf pool exists :         ¨--:§$¤¶¶¶
¶¤¤¤$§:--¨         : in a stale timeline, :         ¨--:§$¤¤¤¶
#@¶¤$§:--¨         :  branched way back   :         ¨--:§$¤¶@#
@¤§----¨¨¨         :  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.        .^~^*&#£@@
#@@#£^†»^¨                                          ¨^»†^£#@@#
##¶£%*;«~¨                                          ¨~«;*%£¶##
#*@§/^,¨..                                          ..¨,^/§@*#
#&@§£=:~.,                                          ,.~:=£§@&#
&£†~=.,..,                                          ,..,.=~†£&