¨¨¨«««=§@#                                          #@§=«««¨¨¨
¨,«==§§@@#                                          #@@§§==«,¨
¨,«««===@#                                          #@===«««,¨
¨¨¨¨¨«=§@#                                          #@§=«¨¨¨¨¨
¨,«==§@###                                          ###@§==«,¨
¨¨¨¨,=§§##         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ##§§=,¨¨¨¨
¨,«===§§@#         = 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.       ##£@£^*-.,
,,,¨¨¨.\£@                                          @£\.¨¨¨,,,
,.,¨,»-†$@                                          @$†-»,¨,.,
...-/=*@£&                                          &£@*=/-...
,.»/^&¤£@@                                          @@£¤&^/».,
..-;=£¤£##                                          ##£¤£=;-..