.,~^†$££##                                          ##££$†^~,.
.,~^†$£###                                          ###£$†^~,.
...~^^$$££                                          ££$$^^~...
.,~^†$£###                                          ###£$†^~,.
.,~^†$££##                                          ##££$†^~,.
..,,,~~†$£         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         £$†~~,,,..
.,~^†$££##         ^ the wolf pool exists ^         ##££$†^~,.
..,,,,^$£#         ^ in a stale timeline, ^         #£$^,,,,..
.,~^†$££##         ^  branched way back   ^         ##££$†^~,.
.,~^†$££##         ^  when kirugu vargir  ^         ##££$†^~,.
....,,^$££         ^  was almost barren,  ^         ££$^,,....
.,~^†$££## comprised mostly of rock and arid soil,  ##££$†^~,.
.,~^†$££##  and plants were only starting to grow,  ##££$†^~,.
.....,^^$£         ^        at all...     ^         £$^^,.....
.,~^†$££##         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ##££$†^~,.
¨~~/*$##@#                                          #@##$*/~~¨
¨^~/%%£@#@     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.        #¶&*\^~»:,
.¨,../§%¤¤                                          ¤¤%§/..,¨.
.:-*%¤§@£@                                          @£@§¤%*-:.
.:~;\%^*@#                                          #@*^%\;~:.
,~»†*$¤###                                          ###¤$*†»~,
,-»\%*¤###                                          ###¤*%\»-,