,~;^£§####                                          ####§£^;~,
,,~;^£§###                                          ###§£^;~,,
,,,~;^£§##                                          ##§£^;~,,,
,,,,~;^£§#                                          #§£^;~,,,,
,,,,,~;^£§                                          §£^;~,,,,,
,,,,,,~;^£         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         £^;~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~;^         ; 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.        #¤%†*~,,,.
,..~\*%§@@                                          @@§%*\~..,
.¨»\*$§###                                          ###§$*\»¨.
¨-*§%££###                                          ###££%§*-¨
¨¨»=$$£#@#                                          #@#£$$=»¨¨
.¨,-:=*¤¶#                                          #¶¤*=:-,¨.