¨,=\%¤¤¤££                                          ££¤¤¤%\=,¨
¨,=\%¤££££                                          ££££¤%\=,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨=%££                                          ££%=¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,=\%¤£###                                          ###£¤%\=,¨
¨,=\%£####                                          ####£%\=,¨
¨,=\%¤£###         # ==================== #         ###£¤%\=,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨=%%£         \ 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. ¨   ###£¤†:=.¨
,¨,..=§££¶          ~~ ¨  -=« .  =,  ,~  =          ¶££§=..,¨,
.:~-~^&@¶#    ,   .~          ,                ,    #¶@&^~-~:.
,.¨~\**$*£        .      .          ,      =        £*$**\~¨.,
..¨^,\*¤@@                                          @@¤*\,^¨..
,-~\$£&###                    ¨#¨                   ###&£$\~-,
¨^-††@@###                                          ###@@††-^¨
,:~^%@£###                   and,                   ###£@%^~:,
¨.»;§£#¶##                                          ##¶#£§;».¨
,~-^^@@@##  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ##@@@^^-~,
,.~^^£@@##        now its wolves see further.       ##@@£^^~.,
¨:«\^&§¶##                                          ##¶§&^\«:¨
,.¨¨--%$££                                          ££$%--¨¨.,
.,~:%££¶@@                                          @@¶££%:~,.
¨.¨..~,~=§                                          §=~,~..¨.¨
¨¨,¨¨..*&#                                          #&*..¨¨,¨¨