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