#,####,##,                                          ,,#,,,,##,
##,,,##,#,                                          ,##,,,#,##
,#,,#,###,                                          #,#,,###,,
##,###,,#,                                          ###,#,,#,,
,##,,#,##,                                          ,,###,##,#
#,#,###,#,         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ,#,,##,###
####,,####         / 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.        ,#§§§.§.,#
,¨£££#,.¨£                                          §,¨.#@&,#£
.&.¨.¤,.¤£                                          #..£¨,##¨&
£#¨,&£,#¨,                                          @,@£,§¨¤&#
.#.&¨£&@¨&                                          §¤.§£#¤¨.¨
@&@#¤¨,&§£                                          .#&..¨#...