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