,^=\%§¤###                                          ###¤§%\=^,
,,^=\%§¤##                                          ##¤§%\=^,,
,,,^=\%§¤#                                          #¤§%\=^,,,
,,,,^=\%§¤                                          ¤§%\=^,,,,
,,,,,^=\%§                                          §%\=^,,,,,
,,,,,,^=\%         # ==================== #         %\=^,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^=\         \ 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.        .¨..¨¨.¨¨¨
¨.¨,,..,.,                                          ,.,..,,¨.¨
.¨,¨.¨..,¨                                          ¨,..¨.¨,¨.
..¨..,..,,                                          ,,..,..¨..
,¨,¨.¨¨.,-                                          -,.¨¨.¨,¨,
¨.¨.¨..:-;                                          ;-:..¨.¨.¨