†\~:,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,:~\†
$†\~:,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:~\†$
¤$†\~:,,,,                                          ,,,,:~\†$¤
¶¤$†\~:,,,                                          ,,,:~\†$¤¶
@¶¤$†\~:,,                                          ,,:~\†$¤¶@
#@¶¤$†\~:,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,:~\†$¤¶@#
@¶¤$†\~:,,         \ the wolf pool exists \         ,,:~\†$¤¶@
¶¤$†\~:,,,         \ in a stale timeline, \         ,,,:~\†$¤¶
¤$†\~:,,,,         \  branched way back   \         ,,,,:~\†$¤
$†\~:,,,,,         \  when kirugu vargir  \         ,,,,,:~\†$
†\~:,,,,,,         \  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.       ¨,.¨¨¨¨,,,
«.,.,,¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨,,.,.«
†~~..,¨...                                          ...¨,..~~†
%=«..¨.,.,                                          ,.,.¨..«=%
$†;~^.,..,                                          ,..,.^~;†$
#$=†»,.,,¨                                          ¨,,.,»†=$#