#..#####..                                          .#.#.#.#..
#.#.####.#                                          .#.#.#.#.#
#.#..###..                                          .#.#.#.#..
#.#.#.##.#                                          .#.#.#.#.#
#.#.#..#..                                          .#.#.#.#..
#.#.#.##.#         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         .#.#.#.#.#
#.#.#..#..         / 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.       .&¨&.¤.¤¨&
@.¤.§¨.&,.                                          ¨¤¨#¨#.&¨¨
§.#,#.£§,¤                                          ,#,£.§.&¨#
&,£.¤,.£,,                                          .§.&,@.&.,
#.@.£.@@.§                                          .¤,#¨¤,&.#
&.&¨¤¨,@.,                                          .§.&,¤¨#,,