,,«\*£¤@##                                          ##@¤£*\«,,
,,,«\*£¤@#                                          #@¤£*\«,,,
,,,,«\*£¤@                                          @¤£*\«,,,,
,,,,,«\*£¤                                          ¤£*\«,,,,,
,,,,,,«\*£                                          £*\«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«\*         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         *\«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«\         \ 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.        .,¨.¨.¨¨,¨
.¨,,..,,..                                          ..,,..,,¨.
,¨¨¨¨,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,¨¨¨¨,
¨¨,,,,.,¨,                                          ,¨,.,,,,¨¨
..¨,¨....~                                          ~....¨,¨..
¨¨.¨..¨^«†                                          †«^¨..¨.¨¨