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