,,,,,»=*£@                                          @£*=»,,,,,
,,,,»=*£@¶                                          ¶@£*=»,,,,
,,,»=*£@¶#                                          #¶@£*=»,,,
,,»=*£@¶##                                          ##¶@£*=»,,
,,,»=*£@¶#                                          #¶@£*=»,,,
,,,,»=*£@¶         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ¶@£*=»,,,,
,,,,,»=*£@         = 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,                   §%†*«-¨.¨¨
¨..¨.,»**$                                          $**»,.¨..¨
¨¨,,,¨.~^^  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ^^~.¨,,,¨¨
¨,.,¨^~/†&       now its wolves see further.        &†/~^¨,.,¨
,¨.¨.=\*%¤                                          ¤%*\=.¨.¨,
..¨.»^*@@@                                          @@@*^».¨..
,,,~/†%£##                                          ##£%†/~,,,
.^=**§&£##                                          ##£&§**=^.
¨¨~~/$@£¶#                                          #¶£@$/~~¨¨