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