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