¨¨¨¨==**¤# #¤**==¨¨¨¨
¨^=**¤§#@@ @@#§¤**=^¨
¨^=**¤§#@# #@#§¤**=^¨
¨¨¨¨^*¤§#@ @#§¤*^¨¨¨¨
¨^=**¤§#@# #@#§¤**=^¨
¨¨¨¨¨=**§@ # ==================== # @§**=¨¨¨¨¨
¨^=**¤§#@# * 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,$# @@¶§§=†=,¨
.:=\§%¤*§@ #&of£the¶way¶home@#to¶the£time@from¶£ @§*¤%§\=:.
,.~†=@££## ##where#they@came,#@##@##and#then@@@@ ##££@=†~.,
.:~;=§@£@# #####the#feeling#of#this%knowledge†= #@£@§=;~:.
.:«:†¤¤¶## «~being » stolen «~ from ~-~ them. , ##¶¤¤†:«:.
¨,«;^¤&#£@ ~= . »~= . », ^- « @£#&¤^;«,¨
¨,~*^$#¶## , ,- , . ##¶#$^*~,¨
.,~,,^;¤¤@ , , . § @¤¤;^,,~,.
.--\†$§¶££ ££¶§$†\--.
.,~/%§£#£# .#, #£#£§%/~,.
¨,~/**££&@ @&££**/~,¨
,¨,¨¨,=†&¤ and, ¤&†=,¨¨,¨,
,,«^^$¤@## ##@¤$^^«,,
¨.,¨.¨-†%¤ now the reach of the pool has widened. ¤%†-¨.¨,.¨
,¨.¨.~^%@@ now its wolves see further. @@%^~.¨.¨,
,.~;%%##@@ @@##%%;~.,
¨:»/†@&£## ##£&@†/»:¨
¨~=:%*&##@ @##&*%:=~¨
.,¨,-=*£#@ @#£*=-,¨,.
,¨,,^~=/$& &$/=~^,,¨,