^~.,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,.~^
~.,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,.~
.,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,.
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
.,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,.
~.,,,,,,,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,,,,,,,.~
^~.,,,,,,,         ^ 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.        ..,¨~«:*¤#
%*/~-,,,..                                          ..,,,-~/*%
**~:¨,.,¨.                                          .¨,.,¨:~**
=~:..¨¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨¨..:~=
»:¨,¨¨,.,¨                                          ¨,.,¨¨,¨:»
,,¨,.¨,¨¨,                                          ,¨¨,¨.,¨,,