^~,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,~^
~,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,~
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
~,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,~
^~,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,~^
%^~,,,,,,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,,,,,,~^%
§%^~,,,,,,         ^ 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.       ..,.,¨~==^
@†^»:,¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨,:»^†@
#$=;~.¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨.~;=$#
#&£**«:,.,                                          ,.,:«**£&#
#@#£=*~.¨,                                          ,¨.~*=£#@#
##¶#£^†«,¨                                          ¨,«†^£#¶##