@#%%=»~,,,                                          ,,,~»=%%#@
#@#%%=»~,,                                          ,,~»=%%#@#
##@#%%=»~,                                          ,~»=%%#@##
#@#%%=»~,,                                          ,,~»=%%#@#
@#%%=»~,,,                                          ,,,~»=%%#@
#%%=»~,,,,         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ,,,,~»=%%#
%%=»~,,,,,         = 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.       .¨,.^»:†*¶
%%*=^,,,..                                          ..,,,^=*%%
@$†=-~¨,.¨                                          ¨.,¨~-=†$@
##¤§\--,,.                                          .,,--\§¤##
###@*†-,,,                                          ,,,-†*@###
####£%/=^,                                          ,^=/%£####