#.#......#                                          .####..#.#
###.....#.                                          #...#.###.
..#....###                                          #..###..##
.##...#...                                          #.#..#.#.#
#.#..##..#                                          ###.######
###.#.#.#.         # ==================== #         ..##......
..#######.         = 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.        §#@@,,,¨@§
¤#,¨.,¨##&                                          ..,&,.,@.#
,§.,,¨£¨..                                          ,,¤¤,¨&£#,
££.¨.@@¨¨&                                          ,§.#.¤.,¤.
.#¨.£.#.£@                                          §@@¤¤&,£@#
££.§#&¤§..                                          .,¨.,¤&¨.£