¨.«=^£§@##                                          ##@§£^=«.¨
¨¨.«=^£§@#                                          #@§£^=«.¨¨
¨¨¨.«=^£§@                                          @§£^=«.¨¨¨
¨¨.«=^£§@#                                          #@§£^=«.¨¨
¨.«=^£§@##                                          ##@§£^=«.¨
¨¨.«=^£§@#         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         #@§£^=«.¨¨
¨¨¨.«=^£§@         = 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.        @##&$\~:..
¨¨¨.~:*%&¶                                          ¶&%*:~.¨¨¨
,,~~=§£&£@                                          @£&£§=~~,,
.~~^%$££##                                          ##££$%^~~.
.,-«;$§&@#                                          #@&§$;«-,.
¨.¨.«†%&&£                                          £&&%†«.¨.¨