#@§**†^^¨¨                                          ¨¨^^†**§@#
@§$†^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^†$§@
@$††««^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^««††$@
##@§$*†«^¨                                          ¨^«†*$§@##
@@$$**†«^¨                                          ¨^«†**$$@@
§*«¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨«*§
§**†††^¨¨¨         † 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.        ,¨,,../:£@
##@&*^†~.,                                          ,.~†^*&@##
###@$^*-^.                                          .^-*^$@###
#@*%*~.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.~*%*@#
###§=†.,:¨                                          ¨:,.†=§###
@&^§«~^.,.                                          .,.^~«§^&@