#@£¤$%/~-,                                          ,-~/%$¤£@#
@£¤$%/~-,,                                          ,,-~/%$¤£@
£¤$%/~-,,,                                          ,,,-~/%$¤£
¤$%/~-,,,,                                          ,,,,-~/%$¤
$%/~-,,,,,                                          ,,,,,-~/%$
%/~-,,,,,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,,,,,-~/%
/~-,,,,,,,         / 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@###   .¨-»:†£¤#@
£§%$\«~,.,   #####the#feeling#of#this%knowledge†~   ,.,~«\$%§£
¤£*=-:..¨¨   -~being - stolen ~« from -»» them. ,   ¨¨..:-=*£¤
&=\»,..¨¨.          «~ .  «~~ ¨  »,  :-  ~          .¨¨..,»\=&
§/-~¨¨.,.,    -   ~.          ,                ,    ,.,.¨¨~-/§
/»:¨¨¨¨,.¨        ,      .          ¨      §        ¨.,¨¨¨¨:»/
~~,¨,,...¨                                          ¨...,,¨,~~
/«:¨¨.,¨..                   .#,                    ..¨,.¨¨:«/
*;«^¨.,.,.                                          .,.,.¨^«;*
%*^»..¨,,¨                   and,                   ¨,,¨..»^*%
§%†^~^¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨^~^†%§
##%*=».¨,.  now the reach of the pool has widened.  .,¨.»=*%##
#@££%;»,¨,        now its wolves see further.       ,¨,»;%££@#
##@¤**;=-,                                          ,-=;**¤@##
##¤£%:=^.,                                          ,.^=:%£¤##
@¤$*=-~¨,,                                          ,,¨~-=*$¤@
#§%:~:.¨,.                                          .,¨.:~:%§#
¤$=»^.,,,¨                                          ¨,,,.^»=$¤