¨¨¨~~***@#                                          #@***~~¨¨¨
¨^~**£@###                                          ###@£**~^¨
¨^~**£@###                                          ###@£**~^¨
¨¨¨¨^*£££@                                          @£££*^¨¨¨¨
¨^~**£@###                                          ###@£**~^¨
¨^~**£@###         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ###@£**~^¨
¨^~**£@###         * 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.       ####£†/=~,
,,»†=@#@##                                          ##@#@=†»,,
,,¨,,,/§¤@                                          @¤§/,,,¨,,
.,¨¨,»*£@#                                          #@£*»,¨¨,.
¨,»\§@£@@#                                          #@@£@§\»,¨
¨.^.«»††@£                                          £@††»«.^.¨