,^»\**¤###                                          ###¤**\»^,
,^»\**¤###                                          ###¤**\»^,
,,,,,»»**¤                                          ¤**»»,,,,,
,^»\**¤###                                          ###¤**\»^,
,^»\**¤###                                          ###¤**\»^,
,^»\**¤###         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ###¤**\»^,
,,,,,^\*¤¤         \ 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.       #££\~»....
,,~*^@#@##                                          ##@#@^*~,,
¨.,.¨~=£§@                                          @§£=~¨.,.¨
,,¨,~~=*#@                                          @#*=~~,¨,,
¨,«†*%£###                                          ###£%*†«,¨
.~~/=*§¶##                                          ##¶§*=/~~.