¶¶$†»¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨»†$¶¶
&&&$†»,,,¨                                          ¨,,,»†$&&&
##¶&$$†»,¨                                          ¨,»†$$&¶##
¶¶¶&$$†»,¨                                          ¨,»†$$&¶¶¶
¶¶$$††,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,††$$¶¶
¶&&$$†,,¨¨         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ¨¨,,†$$&&¶
&$$†,,¨¨¨¨         † the wolf pool exists †         ¨¨¨¨,,†$$&
¶¶¶&$$†»,¨         † in a stale timeline, †         ¨,»†$$&¶¶¶
&$$†,¨¨¨¨¨         †  branched way back   †         ¨¨¨¨¨,†$$&
¶$$$$†,,,¨         †  when kirugu vargir  †         ¨,,,†$$$$¶
&$†,¨¨¨¨¨¨         †  was almost barren,  †         ¨¨¨¨¨¨,†$&
###¶$$†»,¨  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.        ,:»:%£££##
@#@¤%%†=^.                                          .^=†%%¤@#@
#*»=~¨¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨¨~=»*#
&^«,.,.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.,.,«^&
####¤%=»:¨                                          ¨:»=%¤####
#@@££$==.,                                          ,.==$££@@#