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