,,,,,,,,~*                                          *~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~                                          ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,         * 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.       ¤%^^~,¨¨.¨
,.¨~-\**§#                                          #§**\-~¨.,
.,^~:†§¤@#                                          #@¤§†:~^,.
¨~«=^*@@##                                          ##@@*^=«~¨
,.:»†=@&##                                          ##&@=†»:.,
,.¨:«;†%§@                                          @§%†;«:¨.,