¶$$::.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.::$$¶
##¶£$$:».¨                                          ¨.»:$$£¶##
£$:»..¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨..»:$£
##¶£$$:».¨                                          ¨.»:$$£¶##
¶££$$»»¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨»»$$££¶
£$$:::»..¨         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ¨..»:::$$£
¶¶¶£$$:».¨         : the wolf pool exists :         ¨.»:$$£¶¶¶
£$»»»».¨¨¨         : in a stale timeline, :         ¨¨¨.»»»»$£
##¶£$$:».¨         :  branched way back   :         ¨.»:$$£¶##
#£$::».¨¨¨         :  when kirugu vargir  :         ¨¨¨.»::$£#
¶££$$$:».¨         :  was almost barren,  :         ¨.»:$$$££¶
##¶£$$:».¨  comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, ¨.»:$$£¶##
¶$:.¨¨¨¨¨¨  and plants were only starting to grow,  ¨¨¨¨¨¨.:$¶
###£$$:».¨         :        at all...     :         ¨.»:$$£###
##¶£$$:».¨         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ¨.»:$$£¶##
¤¤†:;^^«-.                                          .-«^^;:†¤¤
###§&**=~¨     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.       ,¨.~~^=$£#
###&§*\-,¨                                          ¨,-\*§&###
##@@$^^=,,                                          ,,=^^$@@##
####£%†«.,                                          ,.«†%£####
@&†;\~..¨¨                                          ¨¨..~\;†&@
£=~,,,.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.,,,~=£