@@§§£^/«^¨                                          ¨^«/^£§§@@
§£££/«^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^«/£££§
§^«^^^^^¨¨                                          ¨¨^^^^^«^§
§§^^//^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^//^^§§
§§££^«¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨«^££§§
@§££/«¨¨¨¨         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ¨¨¨¨«/££§@
##@§£^/«^¨         / 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/=   ..¨-»$*@£#
#@@#£†=~~¨   ~~being » stolen ~~ from »~» them. .   ¨~~=†£#@@#
&$//.¨.,¨.          =~ ¨  »«« ,  ~,  ,-  ~          .¨,.¨.//$&
#£§¤@**=,,    -   ,~          -                ¨    ,,=**@¤§£#
#@#¤£$;~:,        ,      ¨          ,      §        ,:~;$£¤#@#
@@£@@†^--.                                          .--^†@@£@@
#@@£*$†=:.                   ¨#¨                    .:=†$*£@@#
¤&@%\~-¨,¨                                          ¨,¨-~\%@&¤
¤*¤;«.,¨..                   and,                   ..¨,.«;¤*¤
##@@%%;~,.                                          .,~;%%@@##
#£#&&%†~.¨  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ¨.~†%&&#£#
##@&*=†»,.        now its wolves see further.       .,»†=*&@##
#§§£==,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,==£§§#
###@£§/~:,                                          ,:~/§£@###
##£££%\-:,                                          ,:-\%£££##
@@@§$§=«^,                                          ,^«=§$§@@@
###@$^†~.,                                          ,.~†^$@###