&$%*»,,,,,                                          ,,,,,»*%$&
$%*»,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,»*%$
&$%*»,,,,,                                          ,,,,,»*%$&
#&$%*»,,,,                                          ,,,,»*%$&#
##&$%*»,,,                                          ,,,»*%$&##
###&$%*»,,         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ,,»*%$&###
##&$%*»,,,         * the wolf pool exists *         ,,,»*%$&##
#&$%*»,,,,         * in a stale timeline, *         ,,,,»*%$&#
&$%*»,,,,,         *  branched way back   *         ,,,,,»*%$&
$%*»,,,,,,         *  when kirugu vargir  *         ,,,,,,»*%$
&$%*»,,,,,         *  was almost barren,  *         ,,,,,»*%$&
#&$%*»,,,,  comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, ,,,,»*%$&#
##&$%*»,,,  and plants were only starting to grow,  ,,,»*%$&##
###&$%*»,,         *        at all...     *         ,,»*%$&###
##&$%*»,,,         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ,,,»*%$&##
#§%§:~~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~~:§%§#
#$§:~-,,.,     misplaced explorers traverse the     ,.,,-~:§$#
§†=~:¨,,,,   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,%#  ,¨,--;*$##
£&††~-...¨   #¤of£the£way#home@@to¶the#time@from@@  ¨...-~††&£
§%/~,¨,..¨  ##where#they@came,##@@@#@and@then@#@@   ¨..,¨,~/%§
&&=†=~.¨¨¨   #####the#feeling#of#this=knowledge/«   ¨¨¨.~=†=&&
#@&%/»,,.,   ~~being = stolen =« from ~»» them. ,   ,.,,»/%&@#
##§%%\~..¨          »~ ¨  »=~ ¨  «.  ~-  »          ¨..~\%%§##
###£@%*~:.    .   ^~          ,                .    .:~*%@£###
##§%§\--.¨        ¨      ¨          .      ^        ¨.--\§%§##
@££*;«.,..                                          ..,.«;*££@
¤§§/»~,¨.¨                   ¨#¨                    ¨.¨,~»/§§¤
&$==.¨¨,,.                                          .,,¨¨.==$&
@£%:=,¨,..                   and,                   ..,¨,=:%£@
#£&$/~,.¨,                                          ,¨.,~/$&£#
##¤£*/-.,.  now the reach of the pool has widened.  .,.-/*£¤##
####*†^~^,       now its wolves see further.        ,^~^†*####
##@&††«:¨,                                          ,¨:«††&@##
#&%=/-..¨,                                          ,¨..-/=%&#
§$*:«-¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨-«:*$§
%%/~.,¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨,.~/%%
@¤*=~^.,¨¨                                          ¨¨,.^~=*¤@