,,,,,,,,~:                                          :~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~                                          ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~                                          ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~:                                          :~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~:%         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         %:~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~:%%         : 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.       ^;~:,¨..,.
.¨¨..,-\=$                                          $=\-,..¨¨.
,,¨,.«*%@&                                          &@%*«.,¨,,
¨,¨^»*$$@£                                          £@$$*»^¨,¨
..,»†$&£¶#                                          #¶£&$†»,..
¨^~:%££¶##                                          ##¶££%:~^¨