,,,,,,:~†*                                          *†~:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:~†                                          †~:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,:~†*                                          *†~:,,,,,,
,,,,,:~†*$                                          $*†~:,,,,,
,,,,:~†*$£                                          £$*†~:,,,,
,,,:~†*$£@         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         @£$*†~:,,,
,,:~†*$£@#         † 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.       @@%*/=^,,¨
,.,¨,~=§*&                                          &*§=~,¨,.,
¨¨,¨¨~~\%*                                          *%\~~¨¨,¨¨
,..¨¨¨:~^*                                          *^~:¨¨¨..,
.,,,...,~/                                          /~,...,,,.
,¨¨,.¨,~^^                                          ^^~,¨.,¨¨,