#£§&*\«,,,                                          ,,,«\*&§£#
##£§&*\«,,                                          ,,«\*&§£##
#£§&*\«,,,                                          ,,,«\*&§£#
£§&*\«,,,,                                          ,,,,«\*&§£
§&*\«,,,,,                                          ,,,,,«\*&§
&*\«,,,,,,         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ,,,,,,«\*&
§&*\«,,,,,         \ 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.  ,,¨,~»=§$#
$=†=,,,.,,       now its wolves see further.        ,,.,,,=†=$
££=;-,¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨,-;=££
£££*:»:¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:»:*£££
#@@%%:-~..                                          ..~-:%%@@#
##@@%=\~,¨                                          ¨,~\=%@@##
#¶#$$\~~..                                          ..~~\$$#¶#