@@#£§^*=,¨                                          ¨,=*^§£#@@
#@#£§^*=,¨                                          ¨,=*^§£#@#
£££^=¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨=^£££
£§***=¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨=***§£
@£§§*,,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,,*§§£@
@@#£§^*=,¨         # ==================== #         ¨,=*^§£#@@
#@#£§^*=,¨         * 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.        ,.~:%%&@##
@#*&\,¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨,\&*#@
#@$*§»-,,.                                          .,,-»§*$@#
@#¶¤¤%^=.¨                                          ¨.=^%¤¤¶#@
£¤*/».,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,.»/*¤£
#@@&$*:»^¨                                          ¨^»:*$&@@#