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