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