¨,-*$§####                                          ####§$*-,¨
¨¨,-*$§###                                          ###§$*-,¨¨
¨¨¨,-*$§##                                          ##§$*-,¨¨¨
¨¨,-*$§###                                          ###§$*-,¨¨
¨,-*$§####                                          ####§$*-,¨
¨¨,-*$§###         # -------------------- #         ###§$*-,¨¨
¨¨¨,-*$§##         ; the wolf pool exists ;         ##§$*-,¨¨¨
¨¨,-*$§###         ; in a stale timeline, ;         ###§$*-,¨¨
¨,-*$§####         ;  branched way back   ;         ####§$*-,¨
¨¨,-*$§###         ;  when kirugu vargir  ;         ###§$*-,¨¨
¨¨¨,-*$§##         ;  was almost barren,  ;         ##§$*-,¨¨¨
¨¨,-*$§### comprised mostly of rock and arid soil,  ###§$*-,¨¨
¨,-*$§####  and plants were only starting to grow,  ####§$*-,¨
¨¨,-*$§###         ;        at all...     ;         ###§$*-,¨¨
¨¨¨,-*$§##         # -------------------- #         ##§$*-,¨¨¨
¨.~~§$&#@#                                          #@#&$§~~.¨
,^«*£&####     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.       ###¤§†-,¨¨
,..:»*£¤¶#                                          #¶¤£*»:..,
.,.~%$¤@##                                          ##@¤$%~.,.
.,»=¤#@###                                          ###@#¤=»,.
,.,»†&&@@#                                          #@@&&†»,.,
..¨,~*%&@#                                          #@&%*~,¨..