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