#¤===,,,,,                                          ,,,,,===¤#
¤===,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,===¤
===,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,===
==,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,==
=,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,=
,,,,,,,,,,         # ==================== #         ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,         = 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,                   .¨..,=†%@#
¶¤@†*»^,,¨                                          ¨,,^»*†@¤¶
#@@§$\-^.,  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ,.^-\$§@@#
##@@@*^«,,       now its wolves see further.        ,,«^*@@@##
#@§¤%^~,¨,                                          ,¨,~^%¤§@#
@#£$==....                                          ....==$£#@
¤**/«,.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.,«/**¤
$§:»-¨.,.¨                                          ¨.,.¨-»:§$
^/»~¨¨¨..¨                                          ¨..¨¨¨~»/^