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