&$%/-~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~-/%$&
$%/-~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~-/%$
&$%/-~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~-/%$&
¶&$%/-~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~-/%$&¶
@¶&$%/-~¨¨                                          ¨¨~-/%$&¶@
#@¶&$%/-~¨         # -------------------- #         ¨~-/%$&¶@#
@¶&$%/-~¨¨         / the wolf pool exists /         ¨¨~-/%$&¶@
¶&$%/-~¨¨¨         / in a stale timeline, /         ¨¨¨~-/%$&¶
&$%/-~¨¨¨¨         /  branched way back   /         ¨¨¨¨~-/%$&
$%/-~¨¨¨¨¨         /  when kirugu vargir  /         ¨¨¨¨¨~-/%$
&$%/-~¨¨¨¨         /  was almost barren,  /         ¨¨¨¨~-/%$&
¶&$%/-~¨¨¨ comprised mostly of rock and arid soil,  ¨¨¨~-/%$&¶
@¶&$%/-~¨¨  and plants were only starting to grow,  ¨¨~-/%$&¶@
#@¶&$%/-~¨         /        at all...     /         ¨~-/%$&¶@#
@¶&$%/-~¨¨         # -------------------- #         ¨¨~-/%$&¶@
@§&§\-...,                                          ,...-\§&§@
£%%:=^.¨.¨     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.        .~»^*%§@##
#¶#&§\=:.,                                          ,.:=\§&#¶#
@@$§=~~,,.                                          .,,~~=§$@@
£¤^:«:,¨¨,                                          ,¨¨,:«:^¤£
§*†»^.,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,.^»†*§
&$*\~^,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,^~\*$&