=.,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,.=
†=.,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,.=†
%†=.,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,.=†%
$%†=.,,,,,                                          ,,,,,.=†%$
@$%†=.,,,,                                          ,,,,.=†%$@
#@$%†=.,,,         # ==================== #         ,,,.=†%$@#
##@$%†=.,,         † the wolf pool exists †         ,,.=†%$@##
###@$%†=.,         † in a stale timeline, †         ,.=†%$@###
##@$%†=.,,         †  branched way back   †         ,,.=†%$@##
#@$%†=.,,,         †  when kirugu vargir  †         ,,,.=†%$@#
@$%†=.,,,,         †  was almost barren,  †         ,,,,.=†%$@
$%†=.,,,,,  comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, ,,,,,.=†%$
%†=.,,,,,,  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.       ¨,,~=:*¤£@
#¶£%§†«~¨¨                                          ¨¨~«†§%£¶#
###@$$\«..                                          ..«\$$@###
#@#£*;»^¨,                                          ,¨^»;*£#@#
¶££^:~-¨,,                                          ,,¨-~:^££¶
¤$==~-¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨-~==$¤