.#.#..##..                                          #....#...#
....#.###.                                          .#....#...
......#.##                                          ..#....#..
........##                                          #..#....#.
........#.                                          .#..#....#
#.........         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ..#..#....
.#........         ^ 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.        .#¨,§,,&,¨
.,¨£,,,,,¨                                          .,£,.@¨¨£.
.¨,¨@,.,¨.                                          ¤,¨£,,£¨¨#
#¨.¨¨@¨¨.¨                                          £@.¨@..£¨.
,¤,¨,¨&¨¨.                                          ¨§#¨¨¤,,¤,
¨,£¨..,§¨.                                          .#§@¨.#¨.&