¤¤%=,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,=%¤¤
@¤††,,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,,††¤@
###@¤¤%†=,                                          ,=†%¤¤@###
##@¤¤%†=,¨                                          ¨,=†%¤¤@##
¤¤¤†††==,¨                                          ¨,==†††¤¤¤
¤%†=¨¨¨¨¨¨         # ==================== #         ¨¨¨¨¨¨=†%¤
¤¤%==,¨¨¨¨         † 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.  .~~†$%@@@#
£@†~¨¨,.¨.       now its wolves see further.        .¨.,¨¨~†@£
##@&§^=-,,                                          ,,-=^§&@##
##@#¤%†-,.                                          .,-†%¤#@##
@£#£¤%=~.,                                          ,.~=%¤£#£@
#@@§$^*~-¨                                          ¨-~*^$§@@#
¶%*=\-..¨¨                                          ¨¨..-\=*%¶