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