,^~=%&¤£##                                          ##£¤&%=~^,
,,^~=%&¤£#                                          #£¤&%=~^,,
,^~=%&¤£##                                          ##£¤&%=~^,
,,^~=%&¤£#                                          #£¤&%=~^,,
,^~=%&¤£##                                          ##£¤&%=~^,
,,^~=%&¤£#         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         #£¤&%=~^,,
,^~=%&¤£##         = 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.        ##£@*:=:,,
¨:«*†%#@##                                          ##@#%†*«:¨
¨,~~*%*#@#                                          #@#*%*~~,¨
,.-;§@¤###                                          ###¤@§;-.,
¨,.-\=¤§##                                          ##§¤=\-.,¨
.-«/*&&¶##                                          ##¶&&*/«-.