,.«=§££###                                          ###££§=«.,
,,.«=§££##                                          ##££§=«.,,
,.«=§££###                                          ###££§=«.,
,,.«=§££##                                          ##££§=«.,,
,.«=§££###                                          ###££§=«.,
,,.«=§££##         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ##££§=«.,,
,.«=§££###         = 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.        ##@$^:-:¨,
,,-†**§###                                          ###§**†-,,
.¨,»\=£§##                                          ##§£=\»,¨.
.~»;%££@##                                          ##@££%;»~.
¨,:-†*%@@#                                          #@@%*†-:,¨
¨,«/†%¤@##                                          ##@¤%†/«,¨