#¤¤;;::::. .::::;;¤¤#
@@@#¤*;»:. .:»;*¤#@@@
@¤¤;»..... .....»;¤¤@
##@#¤*;»:. .:»;*¤#@##
@#**;;;»:. .:»;;;**#@
###**;;»:. # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» # .:»;;**###
##@#¤*;»:. ; 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. ¨,.,~\*¤§&
@###¤^†«,. .,«†^¤###@
§$$-,.¨¨.. ..¨¨.,-$$§
#%%=«~=... ...=~«=%%#
#§£@;=:»~, ,~»:=;@£§#
##£@%=/~,. .,~/=%@£##