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