#@@%%:~,,,                                          ,,,~:%%@@#
##@@%%:~,,                                          ,,~:%%@@##
#@@%%:~,,,                                          ,,,~:%%@@#
@@%%:~,,,,                                          ,,,,~:%%@@
@%%:~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~:%%@
%%:~,,,,,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,,,,,~:%%
%:~,,,,,,,         : 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.  ¨.,,,¨:-:*
$^:»:,¨¨¨¨        now its wolves see further.       ¨¨¨¨,:»:^$
£*%†«,.,,¨                                          ¨,,.,«†%*£
¶§%†*»~,.,                                          ,.,~»*†%§¶
###¤%\~~¨¨                                          ¨¨~~\%¤###
##@&*$*~:,                                          ,:~*$*&@##
###£=/=-¨¨                                          ¨¨-=/=£###