,,,,:«=*£@                                          @£*=«:,,,,
,,,:«=*£@@                                          @@£*=«:,,,
,,:«=*£@@#                                          #@@£*=«:,,
,:«=*£@@##                                          ##@@£*=«:,
,,:«=*£@@#                                          #@@£*=«:,,
,,,:«=*£@@         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         @@£*=«:,,,
,,,,:«=*£@         = 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.        §==«:¨..¨,
.,,.~«††§§                                          §§††«~.,,.
¨,,^=\*&&¶                                          ¶&&*\=^,,¨
.,,=\=££@#                                          #@££=\=,,.
.,-/%%&@##                                          ##@&%%/-,.
,,-~*=@¤##                                          ##¤@=*~-,,