###¶%%^-,¨                                          ¨,-^%%¶###
¶¤%%-,,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,,-%%¤¶
¶¶¤¤%%^-,¨                                          ¨,-^%%¤¤¶¶
¶¤%%%^,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,^%%%¤¶
##¶¤%%^-,¨                                          ¨,-^%%¤¶##
##¶¤%%^-,¨         # -------------------- #         ¨,-^%%¤¶##
¶¶%^,¨¨¨¨¨         ^ 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,                   .-~*$££###
¶&$^:,.,¨.                                          .¨,.,:^$&¶
###£@§:=:,  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ,:=:§@£###
#§%*†-,.-¨        now its wolves see further.       ¨-.,-†*%§#
@@#§&*\~:,                                          ,:~\*&§#@@
####¤%=~,,                                          ,,~=%¤####
#¤£†\;=,,.                                          .,,=;\†£¤#
¤$=$§^\~:¨                                          ¨:~\^§$=$¤
##@§¤*†~^,                                          ,^~†*¤§@##