,,-^=§£¶@@                                          @@¶£§=^-,,
,,-^=§£¶@@                                          @@¶£§=^-,,
,,-^^^==§£                                          £§==^^^-,,
,,-^=§§£££                                          £££§§=^-,,
,,-^=§£¶@@                                          @@¶£§=^-,,
,,-^=§£¶##         # -------------------- #         ##¶£§=^-,,
,,,,,,^§¶¶         ^ 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.       @#¶¤%§^--,
,^-/*%*&##                                          ##&*%*/-^,
¨:-††£#@##                                          ##@#£††-:¨
¨.¨¨.=*$¤&                                          &¤$*=.¨¨.¨
¨.~*=%*¤##                                          ##¤*%=*~.¨
,..,¨»/£@#                                          #@£/»¨,..,