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