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