¤$*†»^,,,,                                          ,,,,^»†*$¤
$*†»^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^»†*$
*†»^,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,^»†*
†»^,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,^»†
»^,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,^»
†»^,,,,,,,         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ,,,,,,,^»†
*†»^,,,,,,         † 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.       ¨.¨~»/^¤¤#
&@%:~:,¨,.                                          .,¨,:~:%@&
&%;-:¨¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨¨:-;%&
%†~~¨..,¨,                                          ,¨,..¨~~†%
:=-¨¨,.¨,,                                          ,,¨.,¨¨-=:
=:¨..¨,,.,                                          ,.,,¨..¨:=