¨--;^&&¶##                                          ##¶&&^;--¨
¨¨¨¨¨-;&&¶                                          ¶&&;-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨---;&&&                                          &&&;---¨¨¨
¨----^^&&#                                          #&&^^----¨
¨--;^&¶###                                          ###¶&^;--¨
¨--;^&&¶##         # -------------------- #         ##¶&&^;--¨
¨--;^&&¶##         ; 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.       ##@£†/~-,,
,,=«»^^†^§                                          §^†^^»«=,,
.,.¨,,.~†£                                          £†~.,,¨.,.
¨,-^§£&###                                          ###&£§^-,¨
.:-:*£¤###                                          ###¤£*:-:.
¨^-/=§£@##                                          ##@£§=/-^¨