,,=**§§§@@                                          @@§§§**=,,
,,,=***§@@                                          @@§***=,,,
,,=**§§@##                                          ##@§§**=,,
,,,,,=**§@                                          @§**=,,,,,
,,=**§§@@#                                          #@@§§**=,,
,,,,,,**§@         # ==================== #         @§**,,,,,,
,,=**§§@@#         * 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^~   ##£££$/=,,
.,-\%¤§###   =«being - stolen »~ from »~« them. ,   ###§¤%\-,.
¨.~*†£§@##          =~ ,  ~«= ,  ~,  :»  ~          ##@§£†*~.¨
.,-*†%%#£#    :   ^,          -                .    #£#%%†*-,.
.^=««*^*£#        ¨      ,          ,      %        #£*^*««=^.
¨,.,¨»-=%§                                          §%=-»¨,.,¨
,^=^^%£¶##                    ¨#.                   ##¶£%^^=^,
,¨¨,==££@#                                          #@££==,¨¨,
.^~†%£#@##                   and,                   ##@#£%†~^.
,.,¨~*†^%£                                          £%^†*~¨,.,
.,~=%%#£##  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ##£#%%=~,.
,^~-;§*=£@        now its wolves see further.       @£=*§;-~^,
,.,¨.¨^\*@                                          @*\^¨.¨,.,
,-«*$£#£##                                          ##£#£$*«-,
,,¨..-=%£§                                          §£%=-..¨,,
,,-;%%$§&@                                          @&§$%%;-,,
,~/%*#####                                          #####*%/~,