¨~=*%§&@##                                          ##@&§%*=~¨
¨¨~=*%§&@#                                          #@&§%*=~¨¨
¨¨¨~=*%§&@                                          @&§%*=~¨¨¨
¨¨~=*%§&@#                                          #@&§%*=~¨¨
¨~=*%§&@##                                          ##@&§%*=~¨
¨¨~=*%§&@#         # ==================== #         #@&§%*=~¨¨
¨¨¨~=*%§&@         * 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. ¨   ##££*\»-,,
¨~~†$¤§###          -~ ,  »«~ .  -,  ~»  »          ###§¤$†~~¨
,,^-^†£###    ~   :-          -                .    ###£†^-^,,
,..,»\$&¤#        ¨      ¨          ¨      %        #¤&$\»,..,
,,:«;=$§##                                          ##§$=;«:,,
..~=%%####                   .#¨                    ####%%=~..
.,:»:%§¤##                                          ##¤§%:»:,.
,..:«††££#                   and,                   #££††«:..,
,¨~~;%&£@#                                          #@£&%;~~¨,
.^~/§%§###  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ###§%§/~^.
,.,~;%*¤##        now its wolves see further.       ##¤*%;~,.,
,..,«;*£§#                                          #§£*;«,..,
.¨-~^*@#@#                                          #@#@*^~-¨.
..=^†@@###                                          ###@@†^=..
¨..~\^££##                                          ##££^\~..¨
.,¨,=\$£§@                                          @§£$\=,¨,.