,^~=†$$$#¶                                          ¶#$$$†=~^,
,,,,~~=$#@                                          @#$=~~,,,,
,,,,,~~††#                                          #††~~,,,,,
,^~~===†##                                          ##†===~~^,
,,,,~††#¶¶                                          ¶¶#††~,,,,
,^~=†$#¶@@         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         @@¶#$†=~^,
,^~=†#¶@##         = 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.        ##@&*%=~^¨
..,,.,~^&#                                          #&^~,.,,..
.:=†*£####                                          ####£*†=:.
,,=^%¤¤§&£                                          £&§¤¤%^=,,
,~~†§¤@#@@                                          @@#@¤§†~~,
,,==†^&*%¶                                          ¶%*&^†==,,