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