,,,,,-«;§%                                          %§;«-,,,,,
,,,,-«;§%@                                          @%§;«-,,,,
,,,-«;§%@¶                                          ¶@%§;«-,,,
,,-«;§%@¶@                                          @¶@%§;«-,,
,-«;§%@¶@#                                          #@¶@%§;«-,
,,-«;§%@¶@         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         @¶@%§;«-,,
,,,-«;§%@¶         ; 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.        =\-,..,..,
..¨,,.¨:-=                                          =-:¨.,,¨..
¨¨,..,,¨,~                                          ~,¨,,..,¨¨
.,¨.,.¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨.,.¨,.
¨.¨¨.¨.¨..                                          ..¨.¨.¨¨.¨
¨¨.¨..¨..,                                          ,..¨..¨.¨¨