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