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