^~,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,~^
^^~,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,~^^
*^^~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~^^*
@*^^~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~^^*@
#@*^^~,,,,                                          ,,,,~^^*@#
##@*^^~,,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,,~^^*@##
###@*^^~,,         ^ 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.       ,,..¨,¨,,.
:.,..¨,,.¨                                          ¨.,,¨..,.:
--¨,.,,¨,.                                          .,¨,,.,¨--
\--.,¨,.,.                                          .,.,¨,.--\
*/=.¨¨¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨¨¨.=/*
£*\=.,...¨                                          ¨...,.=\*£