#¶§§†;~,,,                                          ,,,~;†§§¶#
¶§§†;~,,,,                                          ,,,,~;†§§¶
§§†;~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~;†§§
§†;~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~;†§
†;~,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,~;†
;~,,,,,,,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,,,,,,,~;
~,,,,,,,,,         ; 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.        .¨¨..,¨¨¨¨
.,,,..¨.,.                                          .,.¨..,,,.
,.,.,,¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨,,.,.,
«.,,.,¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨,.,,.«
=~,,,¨¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨¨,,,~=
=†=:¨,,,,,                                          ,,,,,¨:=†=