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