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