,-«^=¤¤¶##                                          ##¶¤¤=^«-,
,,-«^=¤¤¶#                                          #¶¤¤=^«-,,
,,,-«^=¤¤¶                                          ¶¤¤=^«-,,,
,,-«^=¤¤¶#                                          #¶¤¤=^«-,,
,-«^=¤¤¶##                                          ##¶¤¤=^«-,
,,-«^=¤¤¶#         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         #¶¤¤=^«-,,
,,,-«^=¤¤¶         ^ 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@#  ##£@%$;--,
,.,-†*&§##  #£where@they#came,@@###@#and#then#@#@   ##§&*†-,.,
,.¨,~^^§#£   #####the#feeling#of#this^knowledge:-   £#§^^~,¨.,
,,.~:=¤£##   =~being » stolen ~= from -~~ them. ,   ##£¤=:~.,,
¨:~\$$§###          =~ ,  =«~ .  ~,  ,~  -          ###§$$\~:¨
,.~~/=%§£#    :   :^          .                .    #£§%=/~~.,
...~»/§$@£        ¨      ¨          ¨      $        £@$§/»~...
,¨^~=%&@£#                                          #£@&%=~^¨,
¨,»\§§§###                    ,#¨                   ###§§§\»,¨
¨¨.~;$&¤##                                          ##¤&$;~.¨¨
..,-~;%§¤#                   and,                   #¤§%;~-,..
.¨,»†=$¤##                                          ##¤$=†»,¨.
.:»\%*&¶##  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ##¶&*%\»:.
.,,~:%$§@#       now its wolves see further.        #@§$%:~,,.
¨.¨:«†*§¤¶                                          ¶¤§*†«:¨.¨
..-«\=£#¶#                                          #¶#£=\«-..
¨,»=§%¤@##                                          ##@¤%§=»,¨
,..=\%§@£#                                          #£@§%\=..,
..,:~;$$#¶                                          ¶#$$;~:,..