,^=^§$&###                                          ###&$§^=^,
,,^=^§$&##                                          ##&$§^=^,,
,,,^=^§$&#                                          #&$§^=^,,,
,,,,^=^§$&                                          &$§^=^,,,,
,,,,,^=^§$                                          $§^=^,,,,,
,,,,,,^=^§         # ==================== #         §^=^,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^=^         ^ the wolf pool exists ^         ^=^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^=         ^ in a stale timeline, ^         =^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^         ^  branched way back   ^         ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,         ^  when kirugu vargir  ^         ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,         ^  was almost barren,  ^         ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,  comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,  and plants were only starting to grow,  ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,         ^        at all...     ^         ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^         # ==================== #         ^,,,,,,,,,
¨.,¨¨...~-                                          -~...¨¨,.¨
.¨¨,..,,~:     misplaced explorers traverse the     :~,,..,¨¨.
.,¨¨¨.,~=^   landscape, searching for a way back,   ^=~,.¨¨¨,.
,,¨.¨,~*^% finding instead only stone and dirt and  %^*~,¨.¨,,
.¨,,,~;*$¤  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.       #£†=~,,¨,¨
¨,.¨,~»†^$                                          $^†»~,¨.,¨
,¨,,¨,.«^=                                          =^«.,¨,,¨,
.¨..¨,,.~;                                          ;~.,,¨..¨.
¨,.¨¨..¨-«                                          «-¨..¨¨.,¨
¨¨,..,¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨,..,¨¨