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