£$^==:....                                          ....:==^$£
$^==:.....                                          .....:==^$
^==:......                                          ......:==^
==:.......                                          .......:==
=:........                                          ........:=
:.........         # ==================== #         .........:
=:........         = 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.       ¨,,.¨,,,¨:
=,,¨,,,,¨.                                          .¨,,,,¨,,=
;-:,¨.,..¨                                          ¨..,.¨,:-;
^†~,¨,¨..,                                          ,..¨,¨,~†^
&^;~.,¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨,.~;^&
§&^=«:¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨:«=^&§