@%%=-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-=%%@
@@%%%-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-%%%@@
&%-^^¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨^^-%&
@@@&%%=-^¨ ¨^-=%%&@@@
&&&&%%=-^¨ ¨^-=%%&&&&
@&&&%%=-^¨ # -------------------- # ¨^-=%%&&&@
@@%=---¨¨¨ = 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. ¨..^†=&*¶@
&&†-,,.,.. ..,.,,-†&&
§§§*:†;-^. .^-;†:*§§§
@¶@&§%:=^¨ ¨^=:%§&@¶@
#@@*$$†-:, ,:-†$$*@@#
@£&§:†=»:¨ ¨:»=†:§&£@