,,,,,,,,.»                                          ».,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,.                                          .,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,         / 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.       ,¨.¨,¨,.,.
,,.¨,,.,,,                                          ,,,.,,¨.,,
¨¨..,,¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨,,..¨¨
¨¨,.,.,..¨                                          ¨..,.,.,¨¨
,¨.,¨.,¨,:                                          :,¨,.¨,.¨,
¨,,.¨,.¨,»                                          »,¨.,¨.,,¨