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