.,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,.
-.,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,.-
/-.,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,.-/
^/-.,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,.-/^
$^/-.,,,,,                                          ,,,,,.-/^$
@$^/-.,,,,         # -------------------- #         ,,,,.-/^$@
£@$^/-.,,,         / the wolf pool exists /         ,,,.-/^$@£
@£@$^/-.,,         / in a stale timeline, /         ,,.-/^$@£@
#@£@$^/-.,         /  branched way back   /         ,.-/^$@£@#
@£@$^/-.,,         /  when kirugu vargir  /         ,,.-/^$@£@
£@$^/-.,,,         /  was almost barren,  /         ,,,.-/^$@£
@$^/-.,,,,  comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, ,,,,.-/^$@
$^/-.,,,,,  and plants were only starting to grow,  ,,,,,.-/^$
^/-.,,,,,,         /        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,$#  .¨.,,»;^@#
*^:-,,.¨¨.  #¤of&the#way£home@#to@the@time#from¶@   .¨¨.,,-:^*
††«.,,¨.,¨  ##where#they@came,@#####@and#then@###   ¨,.¨,,.«††
=»~,,¨..¨¨   #####the#feeling#of#this%knowledge:~   ¨¨..¨,,~»=
-~¨,¨...¨,   »~being ~ stolen -~ from ~=» them. ,   ,¨...¨,¨~-
^.,,,,....          -« ¨  »-~ .  «,  --  =          ....,,,,.^
,¨¨¨.¨¨..,    .   .-          ,                .    ,..¨¨.¨¨¨,
.¨..¨.,,.¨        ¨      .          ¨      §        ¨.,,.¨..¨.
¨¨,,,.,..¨                                          ¨..,.,,,¨¨
.¨,,,¨,¨..                   .#.                    ..¨,¨,,,¨.
¨¨¨¨¨,.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.,¨¨¨¨¨
,..,¨¨,¨¨¨                   and,                   ¨¨¨,¨¨,..,
~,,,¨...,¨                                          ¨,...¨,,,~
†~,¨,,,..,  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ,..,,,¨,~†
^*»,¨,¨...       now its wolves see further.        ...¨,¨,»*^
%%^~:.,...                                          ...,.:~^%%
§@$/-,.,,,                                          ,,,.,-/$@§
#£$†\=.¨.¨                                          ¨.¨.=\†$£#
##&£^=»-¨.                                          .¨-»=^£&##
##£&**==-,                                          ,-==**&£##