#¤$^:=:,,,                                          ,,,:=:^$¤#
##¤$^:=:,,                                          ,,:=:^$¤##
###¤$^:=:,                                          ,:=:^$¤###
##¤$^:=:,,                                          ,,:=:^$¤##
#¤$^:=:,,,                                          ,,,:=:^$¤#
¤$^:=:,,,,         # ==================== #         ,,,,:=:^$¤
$^:=:,,,,,         : the wolf pool exists :         ,,,,,:=:^$
^:=:,,,,,,         : 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.        .¨¨,.,.,.»
..,¨.,.,.¨                                          ¨.,.,.¨,..
¨¨¨..¨¨,,.                                          .,,¨¨..¨¨¨
¨,¨,,¨.,,,                                          ,,,.¨,,¨,¨
,,¨¨.¨.,,.                                          .,,.¨.¨¨,,
,¨¨¨..¨¨,.                                          .,¨¨..¨¨¨,