##¶&**;~^¨                                          ¨^~;**&¶##
#¶&**;~^¨¨                                          ¨¨^~;**&¶#
¶&**;~^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^~;**&¶
&**;~^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^~;**&
**;~^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^~;**
&**;~^¨¨¨¨         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ¨¨¨¨^~;**&
¶&**;~^¨¨¨         ; 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.       ,,,¨^«†$§§
@¤£%*»,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,»*%£¤@
@##£§\~.,.                                          .,.~\§£##@
##¶¤%=;~~.                                          .~~;=%¤¶##
@¶@$%:~^,¨                                          ¨,^~:%$@¶@
£#%%;~~¨¨,                                          ,¨¨~~;%%#£