##@#£*:~~, ,~~:*£#@##
#@#£*:~~,, ,,~~:*£#@#
@#£*:~~,,, ,,,~~:*£#@
#£*:~~,,,, ,,,,~~:*£#
£*:~~,,,,, ,,,,,~~:*£
*:~~,,,,,, # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # ,,,,,,~~:*
:~~,,,,,,, : 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. ¨¨¨¨.^»†*%
$:«,,.,¨.. now its wolves see further. ..¨,.,,«:$
:=-.¨,¨,., ,.,¨,¨.-=:
»-,.¨,,¨,, ,,¨,,¨.,-»
~....,¨,¨, ,¨,¨,....~
~:.,.¨¨.,¨ ¨,.¨¨.,.:~
=».,¨¨.,,¨ ¨,,.¨¨,.»=