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