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