,,,,,:~:=$                                          $=:~:,,,,,
,,,,,,:~:=                                          =:~:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:~:                                          :~:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:~                                          ~:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,:                                          :,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,         : the wolf pool exists :         ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,         : in a stale timeline, :         ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,:         :  branched way back   :         :,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:~         :  when kirugu vargir  :         ~:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:~:         :  was almost barren,  :         :~:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,:~:=  comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, =:~:,,,,,,
,,,,,:~:=$  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^~   £&*=*~-.,.
..¨,:~†*$£   ~~being « stolen -» from »»« them. ¨   £$*†~:,¨..
.,,..^~^§§          -~ ¨  ~=~ ¨  ».  -«  «          §§^~^..,,.
¨¨¨¨,¨:~\$    .   :.          ^                ¨    $\~:¨,¨¨¨¨
.¨¨,,,,:=/        .      ¨          .      *        /=:,,,,¨¨.
.,¨.¨¨¨,,~                                          ~,,¨¨¨.¨,.
.,.,¨.,..^                   .#¨                    ^..,.¨,.,.
¨..¨,¨,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,¨,¨..¨
¨¨.,..,.,¨                   and,                   ¨,.,..,.¨¨
¨....,.,.,                                          ,.,.,....¨
.,¨¨...¨,,  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ,,¨...¨¨,.
.,¨,,,¨¨~~       now its wolves see further.        ~~¨¨,,,¨,.
..,,,.,^~^                                          ^~^,.,,,..
¨.,.¨,.~*%                                          %*~.,¨.,.¨
¨,.¨.~~**£                                          £**~~.¨.,¨
¨¨¨,^«:†§#                                          #§†:«^,¨¨¨
¨..,~:$*@#                                          #@*$:~,..¨