###§$*†~.¨                                          ¨.~†*$§###
§§§$**†~.¨                                          ¨.~†**$§§§
###§$*†~.¨                                          ¨.~†*$§###
###§$*†~.¨                                          ¨.~†*$§###
§***~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~***§
###§$*†~.¨         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ¨.~†*$§###
###§$*†~.¨         † the wolf pool exists †         ¨.~†*$§###
#§$$$*†~.¨         † in a stale timeline, †         ¨.~†*$$$§#
###§$*†~.¨         †  branched way back   †         ¨.~†*$§###
§*†††.¨¨¨¨         †  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$knowledge\«   ,,==;%*#&@
#¶&;~.¨¨.,   =~being » stolen -» from ~=« them. ,   ,.¨¨.~;&¶#
&%**.,¨¨¨,          ~= .  »=~ ,  »,  ~~  =          ,¨¨¨,.**%&
§*%~-^¨¨.¨    ^   ,,          ,                ,    ¨.¨¨^-~%*§
&*§/~~-..,        ,      ,          .      =        ,..-~~/§*&
#@#§¤^†«^.                                          .^«†^¤§#@#
@¤§§£%/«..                    .#¨                   ..«/%£§§¤@
@#£§*%:=-,                                          ,-=:%*§£#@
@*=,¨.,.¨,                   and,                   ,¨.,.¨,=*@
#@#@$^=«..                                          ..«=^$@#@#
#¤§»:.¨.,.  now the reach of the pool has widened.  .,.¨.:»§¤#
##@&*%:«^.       now its wolves see further.        .^«:%*&@##
#@@§*†*-..                                          ..-*†*§@@#
##@§£†;~~,                                          ,~~;†£§@##
#@£¤$*:«,.                                          .,«:*$¤£@#
#@@¤&=/~~,                                          ,~~/=&¤@@#
#@£¤@†/-~.                                          .~-/†@¤£@#