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