,,--^§¤¤¶#                                          #¶¤¤§^--,,
,--^§¤¤¶##                                          ##¶¤¤§^--,
,,--^§¤¤¶#                                          #¶¤¤§^--,,
,,,--^§¤¤¶                                          ¶¤¤§^--,,,
,,,,--^§¤¤                                          ¤¤§^--,,,,
,,,--^§¤¤¶         # -------------------- #         ¶¤¤§^--,,,
,,--^§¤¤¶#         ^ 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.  @¶@&**=,.,
,..^~*$$@¶        now its wolves see further.       ¶@$$*~^..,
,¨,.^~/$££                                          ££$/~^.,¨,
,...~†*&&@                                          @&&*†~...,
,,,-†*£&##                                          ##&£*†-,,,
.,~;**§###                                          ###§**;~,.
.,,»=^%&@#                                          #@&%^=»,,.