.^«:*$####                                          ####$*:«^.
.^«:*#####                                          #####*:«^.
.^«:*#####                                          #####*:«^.
.^«:*$####                                          ####$*:«^.
.^«:*$####                                          ####$*:«^.
.^«:*$####         # «««««««««««««««««««« #         ####$*:«^.
.^«:::$$$#         : the wolf pool exists :         #$$$:::«^.
.^«:*$####         : in a stale timeline, :         ####$*:«^.
....^:*###         :  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&$awareness#    ##@£££;»^.
¨.=;*¤@@@£  #*of%@exactly@@how¤they§had@traveled,§# £@@@¤*;=.¨
..¨,,¨.:*#   #¤of@the#way#home#@to@the@time#from¶£  #*:.¨,,¨..
.,»\§*@#¶¶  ##where@they#came,#@#####and@then@###   ¶¶#@*§\»,.
.¨¨,.¨=%@@   #####the#feeling#of#this†knowledge/=   @@%=¨.,¨¨.
.,=^*%@###   »=being » stolen »= from =~« them. ,   ###@%*^=,.
,¨.,¨:^†$#          »- ,  =~« ,  «¨  .«  -          #$†^:¨,.¨,
.¨¨,«=»^%#    ~   ,:          ~                ¨    #%^»=«,¨¨.
,:-\%*§¤@#        .      .          ,      §        #@¤§*%\-:,
,,«;=*¤¶##                                          ##¶¤*=;«,,
,-«~†%£&##                    ,#.                   ##&£%†~«-,
.¨..,=~*=£                                          £=*~=,..¨.
¨-~^%&@###                   and,                   ###@&%^~-¨
¨.~;§%####                                          ####%§;~.¨
.-=*§¤¤###  now the reach of the pool has widened.  ###¤¤§*=-.
..¨,.»\;§§        now its wolves see further.       §§;\».,¨..
¨^»;$§&¶@@                                          @@¶&§$;»^¨
¨,~†*$¤£##                                          ##£¤$*†~,¨
¨~=:%£@@##                                          ##@@£%:=~¨
,,=\%££¶@#                                          #@¶££%\=,,
.:-†*%####                                          ####%*†-:.