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