,,,,,,,,^«                                          «^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^«=                                          =«^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,^«=§                                          §=«^,,,,,,
,,,,,^«=§¤                                          ¤§=«^,,,,,
,,,,^«=§¤£                                          £¤§=«^,,,,
,,,^«=§¤£#         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         #£¤§=«^,,,
,,^«=§¤£##         = 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.       ,.¨,..,,¨¨
¨¨,,,,,,.¨                                          ¨.,,,,,,¨¨
¨,,..¨¨.,,                                          ,,.¨¨..,,¨
,¨.,,¨.¨^«                                          «^¨.¨,,.¨,
..,,,,¨:~^                                          ^~:¨,,,,..
¨¨.¨.¨,-;*                                          *;-,¨.¨.¨¨