,,:~:£#### ####£:~:,,
,,,:~:£### ###£:~:,,,
,,,,:~:£## ##£:~:,,,,
,,,,,:~:£# #£:~:,,,,,
,,,,,,:~:£ £:~:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:~: # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # :~:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:~ : 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. §%†-~¨.,.,
,,¨¨¨¨,»\§ §\»,¨¨¨¨,,
,,.,¨..^~† †~^..¨,.,,
,¨¨.¨¨.¨:~ ~:¨.¨¨.¨¨,
,....,.¨., ,.¨.,....,
¨.¨¨¨,,,., ,.,,,¨¨¨.¨