.,-;=£&###                                          ###&£=;-,.
.,-;=£&###                                          ###&£=;-,.
.,-;=£&&&&                                          &&&&£=;-,.
.....,;=&&                                          &&=;,.....
......,;£#                                          #£;,......
....-=£&##         # -------------------- #         ##&£=-....
.....-=&##         ; 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.        #&^~,.,.,¨
.,.¨-«:£¶@                                          @¶£:«-¨.,.
¨:»:%=^&¤¤                                          ¤¤&^=%:»:¨
,~«^$*&###                                          ###&*$^«~,
¨:»**&####                                          ####&**»:¨
,¨¨,...;£¤                                          ¤£;...,¨¨,