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