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