#@@&£=:«,,                                          ,,«:=£&@@#
@@&£=:«,,,                                          ,,,«:=£&@@
@&£=:«,,,,                                          ,,,,«:=£&@
&£=:«,,,,,                                          ,,,,,«:=£&
£=:«,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,«:=£
=:«,,,,,,,         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ,,,,,,,«:=
:«,,,,,,,,         : 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.       ,,,¨,,¨,,,
,,.,.¨....                                          ....¨.,.,,
»,,,,.,.¨,                                          ,¨.,.,,,,»
*=,¨¨¨,¨..                                          ..¨,¨¨¨,=*
%*-~..,,¨,                                          ,¨,,..~-*%
&^;-~.¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨.~-;^&