###@$$^~.¨                                          ¨.~^$$@###
@$$^~~.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.~~^$$@
###@$$^~.¨                                          ¨.~^$$@###
###@$$^~.¨                                          ¨.~^$$@###
###@$$^~.¨                                          ¨.~^$$@###
###@$$^~.¨         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ¨.~^$$@###
##$$$$^~.¨         ^ the wolf pool exists ^         ¨.~^$$$$##
#$$~~¨¨¨¨¨         ^ 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.       ¨¨¨¨..,=$&
###££§*=^,                                          ,^=*§££###
###§&^:«~¨                                          ¨~«:^&§###
££%†\~.¨..                                          ..¨.~\†%££
#@@#¤%†~:,                                          ,:~†%¤#@@#
#@¶§£§;»:,                                          ,:»;§£§¶@#