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