%=«~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~«=%
=«~,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,~«=
«~,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,~«
=«~,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,~«=
%=«~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~«=%
$%=«~,,,,,         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ,,,,,~«=%$
@$%=«~,,,,         = the wolf pool exists =         ,,,,~«=%$@
@@$%=«~,,,         = in a stale timeline, =         ,,,~«=%$@@
#@@$%=«~,,         =  branched way back   =         ,,~«=%$@@#
##@@$%=«~,         =  when kirugu vargir  =         ,~«=%$@@##
#@@$%=«~,,         =  was almost barren,  =         ,,~«=%$@@#
@@$%=«~,,, comprised mostly of rock and arid soil,  ,,,~«=%$@@
@$%=«~,,,,  and plants were only starting to grow,  ,,,,~«=%$@
$%=«~,,,,,         =        at all...     =         ,,,,,~«=%$
%=«~,,,,,,         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ,,,,,,~«=%
:--..¨¨,,.                                          .,,¨¨..--:
=,,¨¨,.,¨¨     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,                   ¨..»*=@£¶#
¶¤%=^=,,,,                                          ,,,,=^=%¤¶
§*$:-,..¨,  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ,¨..,-:$*§
$=†~,,,..,        now its wolves see further.       ,..,,,~†=$
*/«~¨...,¨                                          ¨,...¨~«/*
\-,¨¨,¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨,¨¨,-\
=.,,.¨,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,¨.,,.=
=«~,.,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,.,~«=
^/~-.¨¨¨,.                                          .,¨¨¨.-~/^