..^-=§£££#                                          #£££§=-^..
...^-=§£££                                          £££§=-^...
..^-=§£££#                                          #£££§=-^..
.^-=§£££##                                          ##£££§=-^.
..^-=§£££#                                          #£££§=-^..
...^-=§£££         # -------------------- #         £££§=-^...
..^-=§£££#         = 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.       @#£%/»-¨..
¨¨-~†%@#@#                                          #@#@%†~-¨¨
.:»†%*&¶##                                          ##¶&*%†»:.
.,^===$@¶#                                          #¶@$===^,.
¨¨,:-†%£#¶                                          ¶#£%†-:,¨¨
¨,.~=*&£##                                          ##£&*=~.,¨