...##..#.#                                          .#..#.###.
..#.#.##..                                          .#.##..##.
.##.#..#.#                                          .#..#.#.#.
#.#.#.##..                                          .#.##.#.#.
#.#.#..#.#                                          .#..#.#.#.
#.#.#.##..         # ==================== #         .#.##.#.#.
#.#.#..#.#         = 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.       ¨&,£¤¨&.§¨
£,¤,#,.£.£                                          ,¤.,£,&.§¨
§¨§¨#.¤@.¨                                          ¨#.@§¨@¨#.
@.@,@,¨§,&                                          ¨&.,£,¤¨£,
¤¨¤,#,&#¨.                                          ,¤,@¤.@,£¨
@.#¨£,.@,&                                          ,#.,@¨¤,#.