,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,         † 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.        ,¨~»\=$@@#
#@§%=-^,,¨                                          ¨,,^-=%§@#
£§*;~-¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨-~;*§£
%*;»,.¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨.,»;*%
†=»~¨,¨,..                                          ..,¨,¨~»=†
†»-,¨¨,,¨.                                          .¨,,¨¨,-»†