»,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,»
=»,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,»=
*=»,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,»=*
&*=»,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,»=*&
§&*=»,,,,,                                          ,,,,,»=*&§
#§&*=»,,,,         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ,,,,»=*&§#
##§&*=»,,,         = 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.       .¨,.,..,..
¨¨...,¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨,...¨¨
~..¨.¨.,,.                                          .,,.¨.¨..~
=-,...,.,¨                                          ¨,.,...,-=
\=.¨.¨¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨¨.¨.=\
†/-,,,¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨,,,-/†