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