,.«/%%¤¶##                                          ##¶¤%%/«.,
,,.«/%%¤¶#                                          #¶¤%%/«.,,
,,,.«/%%¤¶                                          ¶¤%%/«.,,,
,,,,.«/%%¤                                          ¤%%/«.,,,,
,,,,,.«/%%                                          %%/«.,,,,,
,,,,,,.«/%         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         %/«.,,,,,,
,,,,,,,.«/         / 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.        #§%==..,¨,
¨¨,--/%&£@                                          @£&%/--,¨¨
,¨,=†%$###                                          ###$%†=,¨,
,,«†%@§###                                          ###§@%†«,,
.,-«†§%@@#                                          #@@%§†«-,.
.¨,,-=*@£#                                          #£@*=-,,¨.