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