,,^«;%$¤##                                          ##¤$%;«^,,
,^«;%$¤###                                          ###¤$%;«^,
,,^«;%$¤##                                          ##¤$%;«^,,
,,,^«;%$¤#                                          #¤$%;«^,,,
,,,,^«;%$¤                                          ¤$%;«^,,,,
,,,,,^«;%$         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         $%;«^,,,,,
,,,,,,^«;%         ; the wolf pool exists ;         %;«^,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^«;         ; in a stale timeline, ;         ;«^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^«         ;  branched way back   ;         «^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^«;         ;  when kirugu vargir  ;         ;«^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,^«;%         ;  was almost barren,  ;         %;«^,,,,,,
,,,,,^«;%$  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.       £§$%^-,,¨¨
.,^»/†§&@#                                          #@&§†/»^,.
.~»:%¤£###                                          ###£¤%:»~.
.,:~/=%§£#                                          #£§%=/~:,.
¨,..«/§@§@                                          @§@§/«..,¨
¨..¨:~^†%&                                          &%†^~:¨..¨