¨¨¨,«=*@##                                          ##@*=«,¨¨¨
¨¨,«=*@###                                          ###@*=«,¨¨
¨,«=*@####                                          ####@*=«,¨
¨¨,«=*@###                                          ###@*=«,¨¨
¨¨¨,«=*@##                                          ##@*=«,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«=*@#         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         #@*=«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«=*@         = 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.       -~¨¨,,,...
¨..,¨.,.,:                                          :,.,.¨,..¨
.,,¨..,¨¨,                                          ,¨¨,..¨,,.
.,¨¨.,¨,,.                                          .,,¨,.¨¨,.
,¨...,,..,                                          ,..,,...¨,
...¨¨,.,¨,                                          ,¨,.,¨¨...