».,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,.»
=».,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,.»=
$=».,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,.»=$
$$=».,,,,,                                          ,,,,,.»=$$
&$$=».,,,,                                          ,,,,.»=$$&
@&$$=».,,,         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ,,,.»=$$&@
#@&$$=».,,         = the wolf pool exists =         ,,.»=$$&@#
##@&$$=».,         = in a stale timeline, =         ,.»=$$&@##
#@&$$=».,,         =  branched way back   =         ,,.»=$$&@#
@&$$=».,,,         =  when kirugu vargir  =         ,,,.»=$$&@
&$$=».,,,,         =  was almost barren,  =         ,,,,.»=$$&
$$=».,,,,,  comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, ,,,,,.»=$$
$=».,,,,,,  and plants were only starting to grow,  ,,,,,,.»=$
=».,,,,,,,         =        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.  ¨..,.«†$%#
£#§%:=~.¨.       now its wolves see further.        .¨.~=:%§#£
#£@$=;=.,.                                          .,.=;=$@£#
#@@¤$§†-:,                                          ,:-†§$¤@@#
#¶#£$*~,,¨                                          ¨,,~*$£#¶#
@§£*:«^.,.                                          .,.^«:*£§@
@£%\-..,,.                                          .,,..-\%£@