.^«:§*@£##                                          ##£@*§:«^.
..^«:§*@£#                                          #£@*§:«^..
...^«:§*@£                                          £@*§:«^...
..^«:§*@£#                                          #£@*§:«^..
.^«:§*@£##                                          ##£@*§:«^.
..^«:§*@£#         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         #£@*§:«^..
...^«:§*@£         : 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.  ###@¤*/~..
¨,^~\*$£¶#        now its wolves see further.       #¶£$*\~^,¨
.¨¨,-;$&¤¶                                          ¶¤&$;-,¨¨.
¨,^=/†$£#@                                          @#£$†/=^,¨
.,~†$$¤@##                                          ##@¤$$†~,.
¨¨,~^%§@##                                          ##@§%^~,¨¨
,.¨.»^^@@@                                          @@@^^».¨.,