,,,,,.-=^£ £^=-.,,,,,
,,,,,,.-=^ ^=-.,,,,,,
,,,,,,,.-= =-.,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,.- -.,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,. .,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, # -------------------- # ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, = 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. ##££§%†-,.
..:=\†$&#@ now its wolves see further. @#&$†\=:..
¨,,:~;=$&@ @&$=;~:,,¨
.¨..:~^=@§ §@=^~:..¨.
,¨.,¨~=^=£ £=^=~¨,.¨,
¨.,¨.,~=^% %^=~,.¨,.¨
,..¨,..:»: :»:..,¨..,