¨¨¨¨..†%@@                                          @@%†..¨¨¨¨
¨.†%$@£###                                          ###£@$%†.¨
¨.~†%$@£##                                          ##£@$%†~.¨
¨.~~~~%@£#                                          #£@%~~~~.¨
¨¨¨¨¨.~%%@                                          @%%~.¨¨¨¨¨
¨.~†%$@£##         # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #         ##£@$%†~.¨
¨¨.~~%%$@@         † the wolf pool exists †         @@$%%~~.¨¨
¨.~†%%$$@£         † in a stale timeline, †         £@$$%%†~.¨
¨.~†%$@£##         †  branched way back   †         ##£@$%†~.¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~%@         †  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.        @££%=~.¨,,
,.=†§*#@@#                                          #@@#*§†=.,
,..¨««\£##                                          ##£\««¨..,
,.«†*£#@##                                          ##@#£*†«.,
¨:~:=£¤@##                                          ##@¤£=:~:¨
¨,,,,^*%¶#                                          #¶%*^,,,,¨