¨---^$$$##                                          ##$$$^---¨
¨¨¨-«^$###                                          ###$^«-¨¨¨
¨-«^$$$$$#                                          #$$$$$^«-¨
¨¨¨-«$$###                                          ###$$«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«^$##                                          ##$^«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨--^$##         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ##$^--¨¨¨¨
¨-«^$$####         ^ 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.        ###@@%/»:¨
.~=†=&#@##                                          ##@#&=†=~.
¨-~=%@####                                          ####@%=~-¨
.,.-«†*%&#                                          #&%*†«-.,.
.,,.=*§@%#                                          #%@§*=.,,.
¨,¨.-~/=*§                                          §*=/~-.¨,¨