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