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