,.»*$£§§££                                          ££§§£$*».,
,.»*$£§££#                                          #££§£$*».,
,.»*$£§£##                                          ##£§£$*».,
,.»*$£§§§£                                          £§§§£$*».,
,.»*$£££§£                                          £§£££$*».,
,.»*$£§£##         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ##£§£$*».,
,.»*$££###         * the wolf pool exists *         ###££$*».,
,.»*$£§£££         * in a stale timeline, *         £££§£$*».,
,,,,»»»*$§         *  branched way back   *         §$*»»»,,,,
,.»*$£§£##         *  when kirugu vargir  *         ##£§£$*».,
,.»****$££         *  was almost barren,  *         ££$****».,
,.»*$£§£## comprised mostly of rock and arid soil,  ##£§£$*».,
,.»*$££###  and plants were only starting to grow,  ###££$*».,
,,,,,.*$££         *        at all...     *         ££$*.,,,,,
,.»*$£§£##         # »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» #         ##£§£$*».,
..¨¨¨./$££                                          ££$/.¨¨¨..
,~«=*£§###     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.        @££¤^/-¨,.
¨¨,^==%%##                                          ##%%==^,¨¨
¨.~†%*#£##                                          ##£#*%†~.¨
,~~:^$¤¶##                                          ##¶¤$^:~~,
.~=††§@@##                                          ##@@§††=~.
.,...=;\&¤                                          ¤&\;=...,.