,,-†^§@£##                                          ##£@§^†-,,
,,,-†^§@£#                                          #£@§^†-,,,
,,-†^§@£##                                          ##£@§^†-,,
,,,-†^§@£#                                          #£@§^†-,,,
,,-†^§@£##                                          ##£@§^†-,,
,,,-†^§@£#         # -------------------- #         #£@§^†-,,,
,,-†^§@£##         † 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,                   #@¶&$%†-^¨
,..-*$@&£@                                          @£&@$*-..,
¨^»=†@@¶##  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ##¶@@†=»^¨
,.~«†%%£##       now its wolves see further.        ##£%%†«~.,
.,~=§&£@@#                                          #@@£&§=~,.
,¨.-*=£¤¶#                                          #¶¤£=*-.¨,
.^=/§%£¶@#                                          #@¶£%§/=^.
¨¨,=*%$£¶#                                          #¶£$%*=,¨¨
.~~*%*@@##                                          ##@@*%*~~.