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