,,,««\\$$&                                          &$$\\««,,,
,~«\^$&@##                                          ##@&$^\«~,
,,,,,,«\^&                                          &^\«,,,,,,
,,,~~\\^$@                                          @$^\\~~,,,
,~«\^$&@##                                          ##@&$^\«~,
,,,,,,«\^&         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         &^\«,,,,,,
,~«\^$&@##         \ 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.        £§§»~,¨.¨,
,,¨¨.,:\%#                                          #%\:,.¨¨,,
,.,.:;\£&@                                          @&£\;:.,.,
¨,~=%£&@@¶                                          ¶@@&£%=~,¨
,^«:%%£@@#                                          #@@£%%:«^,
.^~~»=§%#¤                                          ¤#%§=»~~^.