$^-.,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,.-^$
^-.,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,.-^
-.,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,.-
.,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,.
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,         # -------------------- #         ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,         ^ 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.        ...:-*^@¤@
@§$;-.¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨.-;$§@
£*/-~,¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨,~-/*£
%\~,..¨,..                                          ..,¨..,~\%
=«^¨..,,¨.                                          .¨,,..¨^«=
-^,¨,..¨,¨                                          ¨,¨..,¨,^-