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