&†\~.,,,,,                                          ,,,,,.~\†&
#&†\~.,,,,                                          ,,,,.~\†&#
##&†\~.,,,                                          ,,,.~\†&##
###&†\~.,,                                          ,,.~\†&###
####&†\~.,                                          ,.~\†&####
###&†\~.,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,.~\†&###
##&†\~.,,,         \ 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.       ¨¨,-†*&@##
##@@¤%=«~.                                          .~«=%¤@@##
##£¤%^~,,¨                                          ¨,,~^%¤£##
@@@*†~,¨,,                                          ,,¨,~†*@@@
@§^†-,.,¨¨                                          ¨¨,.,-†^§@
§$/~^,.¨,,                                          ,,¨.,^~/$§