@&%*^«,,,,                                          ,,,,«^*%&@
#@&%*^«,,,                                          ,,,«^*%&@#
##@&%*^«,,                                          ,,«^*%&@##
#@&%*^«,,,                                          ,,,«^*%&@#
@&%*^«,,,,                                          ,,,,«^*%&@
&%*^«,,,,,         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ,,,,,«^*%&
%*^«,,,,,,         ^ 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.        ....-«:†*&
£*;»,,,..,                                          ,..,,,»;*£
*\=,.,..,,                                          ,,..,.,=\*
*-,,¨¨¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨¨¨,,-*
~~¨.¨,...¨                                          ¨...,¨.¨~~
.,...¨..,.                                          .,..¨...,.