&$%*«,....                                          ....,«*%$&
$%*«,.....                                          .....,«*%$
%*«,......                                          ......,«*%
*«,.......                                          .......,«*
«,........                                          ........,«
,.........         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         .........,
..........         * 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.  ...~/%%£##
##@§$†;»~.       now its wolves see further.        .~»;†$§@##
#@&$$=~,.,                                          ,.,~=$$&@#
£#%=^-~,¨.                                          .¨,~-^=%#£
#%*^~,¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨,~^*%#
£$^~,.¨,,¨                                          ¨,,¨.,~^$£
^/-,,,,,.¨                                          ¨.,,,,,-/^