,:==%$&£##                                          ##£&$%==:,
,:==%$&£##                                          ##£&$%==:,
,:==%$&£##                                          ##£&$%==:,
,:==%$&£##                                          ##£&$%==:,
,:==%%$&££                                          ££&$%%==:,
,:==%$&&&£         # ==================== #         £&&&$%==:,
,,,,===$$£         = the wolf pool exists =         £$$===,,,,
,,,,,:=$&#         = in a stale timeline, =         #&$=:,,,,,
,:==%$&&&£         =  branched way back   =         £&&&$%==:,
,,::=%$&&#         =  when kirugu vargir  =         #&&$%=::,,
,,,,,:=%%&         =  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.       @@#@§†^-^¨
¨-=;†£¤£##                                          ##£¤£†;=-¨
..,,^^*%##                                          ##%*^^,,..
.-=*$*¤@##                                          ##@¤*$*=-.
,¨¨¨»*$&&#                                          #&&$*»¨¨¨,
¨...,-=*&@                                          @&*=-,...¨