##£¤§%^-~¨                                          ¨~-^%§¤£##
###£§%^-~¨                                          ¨~-^%§£###
#£§%^~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~^%§£#
##£¤§%^-~¨                                          ¨~-^%§¤£##
###¤§%^-~¨                                          ¨~-^%§¤###
££¤§§%^-~¨         # -------------------- #         ¨~-^%§§¤££
#£§%^^^-~¨         ^ 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.  ,,.,:~†@£§
###£$=/=,,       now its wolves see further.        ,,=/=$£###
###¤¤§^~-,                                          ,-~^§¤¤###
#§^«-^..,,                                          ,,..^-«^§#
##@@@$\«-,                                          ,-«\$@@@##
##£££%†=^.                                          .^=†%£££##
@%^.^..,,,                                          ,,,..^.^%@