,.»^%@¤£##                                          ##£¤@%^».,
,,.»^%@¤£#                                          #£¤@%^».,,
,.»^%@¤£##                                          ##£¤@%^».,
,,.»^%@¤£#                                          #£¤@%^».,,
,.»^%@¤£##                                          ##£¤@%^».,
,,.»^%@¤£#         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         #£¤@%^».,,
,.»^%@¤£##         ^ 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.  ###¤%§/~-¨
,¨:«/%$#¶#       now its wolves see further.        #¶#$%/«:¨,
.^«*§%@¶##                                          ##¶@%§*«^.
..,»;%&§@#                                          #@§&%;»,..
,^=^§§§###                                          ###§§§^=^,
,¨,-^^%§¶#                                          #¶§%^^-,¨,
¨:»^†$¤£##                                          ##£¤$†^»:¨