,,.«*^§@@#                                          #@@§^*«.,,
,,,.«*^§@@                                          @@§^*«.,,,
,,,,.«*^§@                                          @§^*«.,,,,
,,,.«*^§@@                                          @@§^*«.,,,
,,.«*^§@@#                                          #@@§^*«.,,
,.«*^§@@##         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ##@@§^*«.,
,,.«*^§@@#         * 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.        @£¤%^-:..¨
...~**$¤##                                          ##¤$**~...
.:~*$¤&###                                          ###&¤$*~:.
¨.,-*§%¤@#                                          #@¤%§*-,.¨
,,¨:«†$§£#                                          #£§$†«:¨,,
¨..,-«*†§§                                          §§†*«-,..¨