##,#,#,,,#                                          ,#,#,,#,,#
,#####,,#,                                          ####,##,#,
#,,,,#,##,                                          ,,,##,###,
#,,,###,#,                                          ,,#,##,,##
#,,#,,###,                                          ,###,#,#,,
#,##,#,,##         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         #,,#####,#
##,###,#,,         \ 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.       @££.¨.#.#¤
&,&.§¨.&,¨                                          ..¤,,@¤£.#
§¤§&§.§#¨¨                                          ,£§,@..&£¨
¨..¨##¨£.¨                                          @.@@§.&¨@§
¨..#,¤&&,.                                          @#¨,###@.#
.,##¤,,§,&                                          ,¤¨&¨,,&£&