,,,,,«*£¤#                                          #¤£*«,,,,,
,^«/*£¤¶##                                          ##¶¤£*/«^,
,,,,^^//£¤                                          ¤£//^^,,,,
,^«/*£¤¶##                                          ##¶¤£*/«^,
,,,,^«***¤                                          ¤***«^,,,,
,,,,«//*¤¶         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ¶¤*//«,,,,
,,,,,^/££¤         / 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.        ###@$=^«,¨
.~-=†@£@@#                                          #@@£@†=-~.
¨.==%%#£##                                          ##£#%%==.¨
.,-=^$%&$@                                          @$&%$^=-,.
..,¨»†^$&#                                          #&$^†»¨,..
,.,==;=£$£                                          £$£=;==,.,