,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
=,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,=
†=,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,=†
^†=,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,=†^
%^†=,,,,,,         # ==================== #         ,,,,,,=†^%
¤%^†=,,,,,         † 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.       ¨,.¨¨.,,..
,¨,¨.¨.,.¨                                          ¨.,.¨.¨,¨,
¨..,.¨.,,¨                                          ¨,,.¨.,..¨
.,¨¨.¨.,,.                                          .,,.¨.¨¨,.
,¨,,¨¨,,,.                                          .,,,¨¨,,¨,
.¨,...,,.,                                          ,.,,...,¨.