,,,,,,.~:%                                          %:~.,,,,,,
,,,,,,,.~:                                          :~.,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,.~                                          ~.,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,.                                          .,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,         : 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. .   $*\«,¨¨.,.
,,.,..,~:%          »~ .  ~»= ,  ~.  ,»  =          %:~,..,.,,
,,..¨.¨~=;    -   .~          ,                .    ;=~¨.¨..,,
,¨.,....,=        ,      ,          ¨      ^        =,....,.¨,
¨¨.,,¨¨.,~                                          ~,.¨¨,,.¨¨
¨,.,,,,¨.,                    ¨#¨                   ,.¨,,,,.,¨
,¨.¨..,.¨,                                          ,¨.,..¨.¨,
¨.,¨.,,¨.¨                   and,                   ¨.¨,,.¨,.¨
,,..¨..,¨:                                          :¨,..¨..,,
¨.,¨¨¨¨.:=  now the reach of the pool has widened.  =:.¨¨¨¨,.¨
¨,¨,,¨¨-~/       now its wolves see further.        /~-¨¨,,¨,¨
¨,¨,,..~=$                                          $=~..,,¨,¨
.....:~:%$                                          $%:~:.....
¨.,,^=/%@&                                          &@%/=^,,.¨
,¨..~/§£&¶                                          ¶&£§/~..¨,
¨,:»^*&&@#                                          #@&&*^»:,¨