,-«†$$$$@#                                          #@$$$$†«-,
,,,,,,-†%@                                          @%†-,,,,,,
,-«†$%@###                                          ###@%$†«-,
,,,,,,«$$@                                          @$$«,,,,,,
,-«†$%@###                                          ###@%$†«-,
,,,-†††%##         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ##%†††-,,,
,-«†$%@###         † the wolf pool exists †         ###@%$†«-,
,-«†$%@###         † in a stale timeline, †         ###@%$†«-,
,-«†$%@###         †  branched way back   †         ###@%$†«-,
,-«†$%@###         †  when kirugu vargir  †         ###@%$†«-,
,,,,,«$%%@         †  was almost barren,  †         @%%$«,,,,,
,-«†$%@### comprised mostly of rock and arid soil,  ###@%$†«-,
,-«†$%@###  and plants were only starting to grow,  ###@%$†«-,
,-«†$%@###         †        at all...     †         ###@%$†«-,
,-«†$%@###         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ###@%$†«-,
,-«\%&¶@##                                          ##@¶&%\«-,
.:~:†£@###     misplaced explorers traverse the     ###@£†:~:.
..,»-=£§@@   landscape, searching for a way back,   @@§£=-»,..
,.-^%%&###  finding instead only stone and dirt and ###&%%^-.,
,,»†%=%%§@  roots that are as hard as the ground.   @§%%=%†»,,
,,-^†%@£@#   it's getting dark, they are thirsty,   #@£@%†^-,,
..,==*†@@@     and about to find the wolf pool.     @@@†*==,..
¨,~^%&&£##                                          ##£&&%^~,¨
¨~«;=%**@&                    ,#¨                   &@**%=;«~¨
¨,»**%¤#@#                                          #@#¤%**»,¨
.~~;†£§£@#    the pool lies in a small meteorite    #@£§£†;~~.
..¨,¨¨«$§&   impact crater, sixty meters across.    &§$«¨¨,¨..
,.¨¨~-*@£#   it's surface is pitch black and even   #£@*-~¨¨.,
¨~«=$$@¶@@   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.       #@@@@%*=^,
.^»/^@@##@                                          @##@@^/»^.
¨-»;§*£@##                                          ##@£*§;»-¨
.-~\^£@###                                          ###@£^\~-.
¨,¨..,\/£@                                          @£/\,..¨,¨
.:~^^@£¤§£                                          £§¤£@^^~:.