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