,,,,.~\†%&                                          &%†\~.,,,,
,,,,,.~\†%                                          %†\~.,,,,,
,,,,.~\†%&                                          &%†\~.,,,,
,,,.~\†%&@                                          @&%†\~.,,,
,,.~\†%&@#                                          #@&%†\~.,,
,.~\†%&@##         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ##@&%†\~.,
,,.~\†%&@#         \ 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.        ###£$*=~-,
¨¨,»:†$&##                                          ##&$†:»,¨¨
¨,¨,-*^%@#                                          #@%^*-,¨,¨
¨¨.,:-;%§@                                          @§%;-:,.¨¨
¨...¨:»:†¤                                          ¤†:»:¨...¨
,¨...-\$@#                                          #@$\-...¨,