¨^~;*%####                                          ####%*;~^¨
¨¨^~;*%###                                          ###%*;~^¨¨
¨¨¨^~;*%##                                          ##%*;~^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^~;*%#                                          #%*;~^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^~;*%##                                          ##%*;~^¨¨¨
¨¨^~;*%###         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ###%*;~^¨¨
¨^~;*%####         ; 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$¤awareness#     #@#£%%/«-,
.¨-«/^%§#@ #&of§§exactly£¶how&they&had§traveled,£#  @#§%^/«-¨.
.¨¨.~:=%&@   ##of¤the@way@home##to@the@time£from¶¶  @&%=:~.¨¨.
¨.,.-«^^%§  ##where#they#came,#@##@@@and@then@##@   §%^^«-.,.¨
.¨,^»:*¤&¶   #####the#feeling#of#this=knowledge†»   ¶&¤*:»^,¨.
¨,^»=%%¤@@   =«being « stolen =~ from «=~ them. .   @@¤%%=»^,¨
.-«;=%£@@#          =~ ¨  ~«~ ,  -.  ,~  -          #@@£%=;«-.
.,-«†%§@¶#    :   ^-          ^                ,    #¶@§%†«-,.
¨..-~/^%@#        .      ,          .      †        #@%^/~-..¨
.....~\^@£                                          £@^\~.....
,,,~-=†$§#                    .#.                   #§$†=-~,,,
,..»*=%@@#                                          #@@%=*»..,
.~«;†%#£@#                   and,                   #@£#%†;«~.
¨¨,»/^$¤£#                                          #£¤$^/»,¨¨
.,¨,-:*£@#  now the reach of the pool has widened.  #@£*:-,¨,.
¨¨¨.,~**&§        now its wolves see further.       §&**~,.¨¨¨
.¨¨-«/%*¤#                                          #¤*%/«-¨¨.
.¨^~^*$§¶#                                          #¶§$*^~^¨.
.^»:*%££##                                          ##££%*:»^.
¨,:«/*£&¶#                                          #¶&£*/«:,¨
,¨¨^~†*¤£¶                                          ¶£¤*†~^¨¨,