¨^~**%@@##                                          ##@@%**~^¨
¨^~**%§§@@                                          @@§§%**~^¨
¨¨¨^^*%§§@                                          @§§%*^^¨¨¨
¨^~**%§@@#                                          #@@§%**~^¨
¨¨^~~**%%§                                          §%%**~~^¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~**§§         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         §§**~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^^~*%§         * 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.       ¶££¤@%\~:,
¨^~\%££@#@                                          @#@££%\~^¨
¨¨...,;§£@                                          @£§;,...¨¨
¨~«;^¤§###                                          ###§¤^;«~¨
.,»=%%&###                                          ###&%%=»,.
.,=;**@###                                          ###@**;=,.