$†«:,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,:«†$
†«:,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,:«†
«:,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,:«
†«:,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,:«†
$†«:,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,:«†$
*$†«:,,,,,         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ,,,,,:«†$*
#*$†«:,,,,         † the wolf pool exists †         ,,,,:«†$*#
##*$†«:,,,         † in a stale timeline, †         ,,,:«†$*##
###*$†«:,,         †  branched way back   †         ,,:«†$*###
####*$†«:,         †  when kirugu vargir  †         ,:«†$*####
###*$†«:,,         †  was almost barren,  †         ,,:«†$*###
##*$†«:,,,  comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, ,,,:«†$*##
#*$†«:,,,,  and plants were only starting to grow,  ,,,,:«†$*#
*$†«:,,,,,         †        at all...     †         ,,,,,:«†$*
$†«:,,,,,,         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ,,,,,,:«†$
;~,¨.,,¨..                                          ..¨,,.¨,~;
«,,,¨,.¨¨¨     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.        .,.¨.:~†=§
=;«~,.,,¨.                                          .¨,,.,~«;=
=--...¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨...--=
-^¨¨..,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,..¨¨^-
*»~,¨,,¨,.                                          .,¨,,¨,~»*
**--,¨.,.¨                                          ¨.,.¨,--**