¨,~\=$¤¤¤£                                          £¤¤¤$=\~,¨
¨,~\=$¤£@#                                          #@£¤$=\~,¨
¨,~\=$¤£@@                                          @@£¤$=\~,¨
¨¨¨¨~~=$$£                                          £$$=~~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,~\=$¤£                                          £¤$=\~,¨¨¨
¨¨¨~\\\$$£         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         £$$\\\~¨¨¨
¨,~\=$¤£@#         \ the wolf pool exists \         #@£¤$=\~,¨
¨,~\====$¤         \ in a stale timeline, \         ¤$====\~,¨
¨¨¨¨,\\=$¤         \  branched way back   \         ¤$=\\,¨¨¨¨
¨,~~\\\$£@         \  when kirugu vargir  \         @£$\\\~~,¨
¨,~\=$¤£@#         \  was almost barren,  \         #@£¤$=\~,¨
¨,~\=$¤£@#  comprised mostly of rock and arid soil, #@£¤$=\~,¨
¨,~\=$¤£##  and plants were only starting to grow,  ##£¤$=\~,¨
¨¨¨,~\$$$£         \        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.        ¤†~»^.¨..,
.^~†%@¶###                                          ###¶@%†~^.
.,,,.-»%£¤                                          ¤£%»-.,,,.
...,-»*†&£                                          £&†*»-,...
.,=††%&@##                                          ##@&%††=,.
.^=*§$$§¤#                                          #¤§$$§*=^.