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