#..##.#.#.                                          ..##..##..
#.#.#.#.#.                                          .#.#.#.#.#
#.#.#.#.#.                                          .#.#.#.#..
#.#.#.#.#.                                          .#.#.#.#.#
#.#.#.#.#.                                          .#.#.#.#..
#.#.#.#.#.         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         .#.#.#.#.#
#.#.#.#.#.         † 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.        .¤,@¨#,&.£
#¨£¨&¨#,§¨                                          .¤.@¨§¨£.,
@.#¨#,@.§.                                          ¨¤,#.£.¤¨@
&.&¨¤,#.&,                                          .¤.#¨£¨¤..
£,¤.§,#.#.                                          ¨£,¤.¤.§,&
¤.¤,&.§¨§.                                          ¨&.£.§.£¨,