,,,,,,~~%§                                          §%~~,,,,,,
,^~^%£§£##                                          ##£§£%^~^,
,^~^%£§£##                                          ##£§£%^~^,
,^~^£§£###                                          ###£§£^~^,
,,,,,^^£§£                                          £§£^^,,,,,
,^~^%%£§§£         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         £§§£%%^~^,
,^~^%£§§££         ^ 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.        @@%==«»=^¨
¨,¨¨¨~»*#@                                          @#*»~¨¨¨,¨
,¨.¨¨-%##@                                          @##%-¨¨.¨,
.^~††£&###                                          ###&£††~^.
¨,¨»=/&£@#                                          #@£&/=»¨,¨
¨~«^*@§###                                          ###§@*^«~¨