##§$/~,,,,                                          ,,,,~/$§##
###§$/~,,,                                          ,,,~/$§###
####§$/~,,                                          ,,~/$§####
###§$/~,,,                                          ,,,~/$§###
##§$/~,,,,                                          ,,,,~/$§##
#§$/~,,,,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,,,,~/$§#
§$/~,,,,,,         / the wolf pool exists /         ,,,,,,~/$§
$/~,,,,,,,         / in a stale timeline, /         ,,,,,,,~/$
/~,,,,,,,,         /  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$knowledge*~   ¨¨¨--;*%&#
&@=*«,¨¨¨,   =~being = stolen =- from »-~ them. .   ,¨¨¨,«*=@&
§§†=^.,..¨          -» ¨  ~~- ¨  =,  :«  ~          ¨..,.^=†§§
^;=,¨¨,,¨¨    ,   ^^          .                .    ¨¨,,¨¨,=;^
;»-¨.,.,.,        .      ,          .      =        ,.,.,.¨-»;
=,,.......                                          .......,,=
:..,¨,¨,,,                    .#,                   ,,,¨,¨,..:
,,¨¨,.¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨.,¨¨,,
,,,¨,,.¨..                   and,                   ..¨.,,¨,,,
-,.¨,.¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨.,¨.,-
:»^¨.¨..¨¨  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ¨¨..¨.¨^»:
†^»^,¨,¨,.        now its wolves see further.       .,¨,¨,^»^†
¤^;»^.¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨.^»;^¤
§£$:~,.¨,.                                          .,¨.,~:$£§
¶#§%^«-.¨¨                                          ¨¨.-«^%§#¶
#¶#£*;-^¨¨                                          ¨¨^-;*£#¶#
####%†=-,,                                          ,,-=†%####