#%=/»,,,,,                                          ,,,,,»/=%#
##%=/»,,,,                                          ,,,,»/=%##
###%=/»,,,                                          ,,,»/=%###
####%=/»,,                                          ,,»/=%####
###%=/»,,,                                          ,,,»/=%###
##%=/»,,,,         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ,,,,»/=%##
#%=/»,,,,,         / 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.        ¨¨,,~†%@£#
¤@%*-:¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨:-*%@¤
%=\~^¨,¨,.                                          .,¨,¨^~\=%
=/=,¨.¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨.¨,=/=
^«^...,¨.,                                          ,.¨,...^«^
»,.,,.,¨¨,                                          ,¨¨,.,,.,»