,,,=:^§#@#                                          #@#§^:=,,,
,,,,=:^§#@                                          @#§^:=,,,,
,,,,,=:^§#                                          #§^:=,,,,,
,,,,,,=:^§                                          §^:=,,,,,,
,,,,,,,=:^                                          ^:=,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,=:         # ==================== #         :=,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,=         : 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,$#  #¶%†=»..,¨
...¨.=†^&¶  #£of#the#way#home£#to#the#time£from#@   ¶&^†=.¨...
¨..,¨.~;%§   #@where#they#came,@######and#then#@@#  §%;~.¨,..¨
.¨¨,.¨,~;*   #####the#feeling#of#this*knowledge*~   *;~,¨.,¨¨.
.¨..,,¨-»*   =«being « stolen -~ from =-~ them. .   *»-¨,,..¨.
¨,,¨,,,.,«          ~- ¨  ~»= .  -,  ,~  =          «,.,,,¨,,¨
..,,,¨,,¨^    :   ^~          :                ,    ^¨,,¨,,,..
.,¨.¨..,¨.        ,      .          ¨      *        .¨,..¨.¨,.
,.¨,..,,¨,                                          ,¨,,..,¨.,
,.¨¨,¨¨¨~~                    ,#,                   ~~¨¨¨,¨¨.,
,...,¨,~-*                                          *-~,¨,...,
.,.¨,,^-=*                   and,                   *=-^,,¨.,.
.¨.,.-~*†$                                          $†*~-.,.¨.
.,.,,=†$$£  now the reach of the pool has widened.  £$$†=,,.,.
,.¨^-†$%##       now its wolves see further.        ##%$†-^¨.,
.¨,«:§@¶##                                          ##¶@§:«,¨.
¨.-\=@@@##                                          ##@@@=\-.¨
¨.,»^†$¶@#                                          #@¶$†^»,.¨
,...«†%¤@#                                          #@¤%†«...,
,¨,,.~;%$¶                                          ¶$%;~.,,¨,